Lovestruck
by AreWeAllForgotten
Summary: Kurt visits Rachel's house for the first time and meets her twin brother. Her very attractive, gay, twin brother. Suddenly, he is all that is on his mind. And it's mutual. Anderberry/Klaine AU
1. Chapter 1

**I fell in love with the Anderberry universe and started to write this story about a month ago. I felt it was time to type the first chapter out (I have it all written out in a notebook) and post it. This is my very first Gleefic (I've been writing fanfiction for some years now but in another fandom) and it's been a while since I've written anything in English. Initially, this is supposed to be a short story (maybe not even past ten chapters) but my mind keeps on adding new ideas every day that I definitely want to include so I'll see where it turns out.I hope you'll enjoy it.**

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><p><em>'Lovestruck. Like struck with a lightning bolt. The second that you see and meet the person, you are instantly in love. Head over heels, can't stop thinking about them, want to be with them, hold them hug them, and be held and hugged and loved by them in return.'<em>

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><p>"You have a stage in your basement!"<p>

Kurt Hummel gasped as he entered the basement of the house of his friend Rachel. It was his very first visit to the Berry-Anderson residence. The modern feeling of the house had left him in astonishment but everything faded away compared to the basement, which resembled a lounge found in big cities

"I have a very musical family," Rachel declared with a satisfied grin. "My fathers are big Broadway lovers like the two of us. We all like to give impromptu performances for our neighbours at times."

The both of them smiled. They used to be very competitive rivals in their Glee club, fighting over every single solo. But after a year of squabbling, they finally bonded over their mutual love for Broadway, musicals, classic movies and diva idols. They also had a shared dream of becoming Broadway legends.

"Wow," a voice behind them breathed. They both turned to find their friend, Mercedes Jones, decent the stairs. She and Kurt were invited for their first ever girl-and-Kurt sleepover at the Berry-Anderson's. "You have an amazing house. And this basement..."

Rachel did not get a chance to properly thank Mercedes for her compliments as Kurt's rather high pitched voice rang through the room.

"Oh my God, you have a karaoke set! We're so singing later on!"

Rachel had slipped next to him and took the West Side Story songbook Kurt was holding in his hands.

"This is my brother's favourite. He's a perfect Tony. Personally, I feel that I was born to portray Maria but for very obvious reasons, we could never play those parts at the same time. I have no problem breaking certain boundaries to further my already blooming career, but this is one boundary too far."

She half expected her friends to nod fiercely in agreement to her just made statement about her career and Maria, but all she received were two pairs of raised eyebrows.

"What?"

"You have a brother?" Kurt and Mercedes said in perfect unison.

"Uhm...yeah. Blaine. He's my twin."

"YOU HAVE A TWIN!"

Rachel scurried away into a corner as her friends literally pounced on her with questions.

"Do we know him?"

"Have we ever seen him?"

"Why did you never mention him before?"

"Does he go to our school?"

"I can't believe you have a brother!"

Rachel quickly came over the initial shock caused by the amount of questions, she giggled and ushered her friends upstairs, where they all retreated to the kitchen for a cup of hot cacao.

"Okay, speak up lady," Mercedes said impatiently. Rachel giggled again.

"Well, about Blaine. As I said, he's my twin. No, you don't know him because he doesn't go to McKinley. He goes to an all-boy private school in Westerville named Dalton Academy. He usually leads their glee club, the Warblers. He's a very talented singer just like me, it runs in the family. He also plays tons of instruments and is in his school's soccer team. I guess I never mentioned him because...well...he's the only friend I had before you guys but I barely see him – only on weekends. I miss him enough as it is and talking about him makes it worse...and you and I haven't been friends that long so he just hasn't come up."

"Okay, why do you go to a public school while your twin gets to go to an expensive private school where they most likely don't have slushy facials?" Kurt asked confused.

"One of my dads got heavily bullied in high school because of his sexuality," Rachel sighed. "His parents send him to Dalton Academy because they have a zero tolerance harassment policy. Blaine got heavily bullied in our last year in middle school when someone he thought was his friend outed him. He'd come home daily with fresh bruises and torn clothes."

She chocked up a little at the memories of the bruises and scars on her twin; at the memories of him crying as she held him and feeling powerless to do anything. Her friends noticed and while Mercedes patted her back, Kurt held her hand.

"So the summer between middle school and high school we moved here, you know that. My dad was hesitant to send Blaine to a public school again and Blaine was quite scared as well. And since Dalton isn't so far from here, they decided to send him there. They did offer me to transfer to Crawford Country Day, Dalton's sister school, after the first few times I got slushied. But they don't have a Glee club or a theatre department and singing and music is what keeps me going at school, so I stayed at McKinley. Blaine really deserves being at Dalton after all he's been through and he's my twin. I love him and I want him to be as safe as possible."

The sad frown spreading on Rachel's face made her friends include her in a group hug. It made her laugh and ease a bit but for the other two, the subject Blaine wasn't finished yet.

"Miss Berry-Anderson, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you for not telling me that you have a gay brother who most likely knows what I go through," he scoffed jokingly and flicked her nose as to admonish her. Rachel couldn't help but to let out her highly contagious laugh and quickly directed herself into Kurt's play.

"I do apologize, mister Hummel. If I buy you that Alexander McQueen jacket you've wanted for months, will I be forgiven?"

"Rach, if you buy me that jacket, you'll be forgiven for everything you'll do in the next fifty years!"

While they laughed and refilled their cups, they heard the front door unlock and the voice of young man called out.

"Dad? Pa? Rach? Anybody home?"

"Speak of the devil," Rachel smiled. "In the kitchen, Blaine!"

In the hallway, Blaine dropped his messenger bag and took of his coat when he heard the melodic voice of his twin sister and he couldn't help but hurry to the room in the back. When he entered the kitchen he noticed his sister had guests but he couldn't bother with his usual politeness. He just had to run over to the small girl with the long, wavy, brown hair first.

"Hey Rach, I missed you," he sighed, hugging her tightly and pecked her on the cheek.

"Missed you too, Blainey," she said softly and hugged him back. "These are my friends, Mercedes and Kurt. I was just telling them about you."

Blaine straightened up and saw an African American girl smiling at the both of them. He stepped over to her and accepted the hand she held out to him.

"Nice to meet you, Mercedes. I'm Blaine. How do you do?"

Mercedes giggled a little when he chivalrously kissed the back of her hand.

"Is he always this charming, Rach?"

"Always," Rachel grunted, eyeing her brother a little annoyed. She loved him but simply could not stand it when he attracted all the attention by just being himself. Blaine just grinned back at her and stepped around her to get to the other male in the room.

"Hi, I'm-"

Blaine was about to introduce himself, when he looked up into the most gorgeous pair of eyes he had ever seen. And those gorgeous eyes belonged to the most beautiful boy he had ever laid his eyes upon.

Time seemed to have frozen as he took up what must have been an angel. Flawless porcelain looking skin, short dark brown hair that was styled with uttermost care, and an attire that screamed fashionista. He had perfection written all over him. This boy and his looks had taken him aback so much that his mind had gone blank. He couldn't even tell his own name.

"I'm...I'm...ehm...Rach, who am I again?"

Rachel and Mercedes were both snickering, causing Blaine to blush heavily. He couldn't believe he had made such a fool out of himself in front of such a boy.

"I know who you are," a surprisingly high, but still rather masculine voice squeaked. "I...ehm...I am Kurt. Kurt Hummel."

To Blaine's surprise, Kurt looked flushed as well and seemed just as taken aback by Blaine as Blaine was by him. Or he'd imagined it. Of course he'd imagined it. Why on earth would someone like Kurt take interest in someone like him? Kurt must have the model-worthy men of the world lining up for him. What would he see in a nerdy, prep school boy?

Still, he took the hand Kurt had extended to him, trying not to look surprised by the softness of it. But he said nothing as his mind was very incapable of remembering any word in the English dictionary. He was also not able to remember how to let go of Kurt's hand - not that he wanted to, to be honest.

Blaine felt how he was drowning in those big, blue eyes. The longer he looked in them, the faster his heart seemed to beat. He felt lots of jitters in his stomach, and butterflies. There were butterflies there too. Oh, how he wanted to step forward and kiss those plum, pink lips. He couldn't help but wonder if they were just as soft as Kurt's hand had been.

This must be it, Blaine thought. This must be love at first sight.

His IQ had dropped so much that he never noticed that Kurt was in the same position as he was, because Kurt was lost. Lost in the pair of honey coloured eyes Blaine possessed. Deep on the inside he swooned over the curls on Blaine's head, which barely could be held down by the galleons of gel Blaine had used to control them.

Kurt also thought it was uttermost adorable that Blaine couldn't remember his own name when he first same him. He couldn't believe he actually could have that kind of impact on someone. Usually that was only capable by gorgeous cheerleaders like Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce.

The two kept staring at each other, neither realizing that they were still holding hands. They'd both actually completely forgotten their surroundings. Why, they'd even forgotten an entire world existed besides the two of them.

It wasn't until Rachel subtly coughed, that the love struck boys were sucked back to reality. Kurt was the first one to notice their joined hands and looked down to them; Blaine quickly followed. Quickly they released each other, both blushing furiously. Still, neither could help but to smile at the other.

"Ehm...I...ehm...need to go," Blaine breathed - his gaze still locked on Kurt. He took a few steps backwards and finally managed to tear away from Kurt to address his twin.

"Hey Rach, I'm going to change and go. I promised Nick I'd come over to play videogames. Can you let Dad and Pa know when they get home?"

Rachel nodded with a teasing grin plastered on her face, causing Blaine to give her a light and playful shove and ruffle through her hair. He gave Mercedes a courteous nod and proceeded his was out of the kitchen. At the door he stopped and turned to Kurt - who hadn't moved an inch.

"Bye Kurt," he smiled dreamily and waved.

"Bye Blaine," Kurt whispered in return and waved too.

When Blaine had disappeared, Rachel and Mercedes took one look at each other and simultaneously started to hum the Bridal Chorus with mocking grins on their faces.

"Oh shut up," Kurt muttered, redder than ever before.

"Wow, I thought that only happened in movies," Rachel joked and took a sip from her drink while Mercedes nodded in agreement.

"I don't blame you though," Mercedes smiled. "Blaine's hot."

"Mercedes!" Rachel shrieked, almost choking on her hot cacao. "That's my brother you're talking about."

"So?" Mercedes shrugged. "It's the truth. And even if he's not going to admit it, Kurt thinks so too. Right, Kurt?"

Kurt turned a shade redder, drank the content of his cup in one go and practically ran out of the kitchen.

"You two! Basement! Karaoke! Now!"

The two girls giggled as they emptied their cups and followed the heavily blushing boy.

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><p><strong>The quote in the beginning comes from here: urbandictionary()comdefine()php?term=lovestruck (replace all () with a dot) .I know that it's a rather weird reference but it's hard to find a good definition and I really liked the way it was described there**


	2. Chapter 2

In the following week, Blaine and Kurt were only able to think about the other. It didn't go unnoticed by their environments, but both boys chose not to tell anybody. Still, the McKinley High glee club found out about Kurt's crush on Blaine as Rachel had told her boyfriend Finn Hudson - who reported it to the rest of the boys - and Mercedes had enlightened Tina Cohen-Chang - who told the rest of the girls.

Of course the talk of the day at first was that there was actually a male version of Rachel Berry-Anderson walking around on the planet and it turned out Finn actually had known of his existence long before anyone else. When the excitement over Rachel having a brother had died down a little, the focus shifted to Kurt having a crush on him. The girls showed way more interest than the boys, but that was normal within the New Directions.

That didn't keep more promiscuous Glee club members like Noah Puckerman and Santana Lopez from asking him repeatedly if he and Blaine had gotten any action on - even though he told them the only other time he had seen Blaine was the morning after their awkward meeting. Blaine had joined him, Rachel and Mercedes at breakfast. They hadn't said more than 'good morning' to each other but had spent the entire time stealing glances and smiles. Blaine had left rather quickly and Kurt hadn't seen him since.

Unfortunately for Kurt, Finn, who was also his stepbrother, had a blabbermouth and accidently spilled the existence of Blaine and the meeting between him and Kurt to their parents.

Now Burt Hummel wasn't blind. He noticed right away that his son was a little shook up after he'd returned from the Berry-Anderson's and had been dreamy and absent ever since. He also wasn't a gullible person and he didn't just believe the _'he's-just-Rachel's-brother-who-I've-met-once'_ or the _'I-don't-even-know-the-guy'_ stories. His once innocent, little boy wasn't little anymore. He really realized that when Kurt took care of him by himself when he'd had a heart attack.

Even though Kurt wasn't as far as a lot of teenage boys of his age were when it came to relationships, love and sex, he was surely getting there. He'd seen that when he wasn't dating Finn's mother Carole yet and Kurt was crushing on Finn and now there was this Blaine-kid. There may not be anything between his son and that boy right now, but it was clear that the sleepovers at Rachel were going to be more frequent, so who knows what could happen.

He found himself blessed that he didn't have to explain to Kurt how not to get a girl pregnant but there were certain dangers to sex that went up for everyone and he couldn't stall preparing his son very much longer. Carole had told him to try and stop procrastinating so he went out and got some pamphlets on the birds and the bees – or the birds and the birds - and sat down with his son. It was a very awkward conversation but the fact that Kurt had run out with his fingers sticking in his ear while singing out loud made it clear for him that he didn't have to worry about Kurt getting in to certain situations for a long time.

For Blaine, things were relatively easier. Because he boarded during the weeks, none of his friends had frequent contact with his sister or parents. But they and every single member of the Warblers had no doubt that Blaine had met someone special. Blaine was usually poised, lively and organised, now he was a dreamy mess day and night. It didn't help his case that he blasted Katy Perry's Teenage Dream repetitively through his dorm room, nor that he sang or hummed it whenever he was not in his room. By Wednesday, all the students of Dalton Academy were ready to shoot the lead Warbler for this.

It had also lead to Wes stealing Rachel's number from Blaine's phone to call her for an explanation of Blaine's sudden personality change. Rachel, who was unlike many girls and was actually highly delighted that her brother apparently crushed on her best friend, had no problem giving an extended version of everything that happened last Friday night. What she didn't realise was that, when she was talking to Wes, her fathers were overhearing her end of the conversation.

Bryan and Liam Berry-Anderson were parents who were very invested in the lives of their children. They knew Blaine had barely any experience when it came to boys. They'd given Rachel 'The Talk' when she started dating her second boyfriend Jesse St. James. Blaine, however, to their knowledge never had a boyfriend, nor had ever gone on a serious date,so they hadn't found the need to explain anything to him yet and waited till he got there like with his sister. As gay men they wanted to make sure that their son had a more adjusted version of 'The Talk'. One more appropriate for him as a gay teenager.

This 'thing' with Rachel's new friend was different though. The way they had seen Blaine walking around over the weekend was unlike anyway they'd ever seen him before. And though, according to Rachel, absolutely nothing had happened between the two boys - other than the fact that they both seriously got their socks knocked off - Kurt would be coming over a lot more. That was as sure as can be. So in case something ever was to happen between these boys, they wanted Blaine to be prepared.

It was the first time Blaine returned home from Dalton since that phone call had taken place, and right away his parents had sat down with him in the living room and had 'The Talk' with him. He didn't quite understand where it all of the sudden came from, but he had listened patiently to what they had to say and only spoke or nodded when asked a question. Afterwards he didn't know how fast he had to dart to his room. He was grateful that his parents were so open to discuss this with him, but the entire conversation had put mental images of his parents doing those discussed things and they were images he wanted to forget as soon as possible.

The only thing that would really help, was seeing Kurt. As soon as he thought of Kurt, he forgot everything so it would most likely help against thoughts of his fathers' sex life.

He actually had hoped all week that Rachel would be having another sleepover so he could see the gorgeous boy again because Kurt hadn't left his mind for a single moment in the past week. But he passed Rachel's room to get to his own, and found it empty. He shuffled disappointedly to his room and grabbed his rather old phone to text his sister. He was so glad they were both getting an iPhone soon.

**From Blaine**

Hey Rach, where are you?"

It took a while but after a minute or ten or so, he received an answer from her

**From Rachel**

It's the birthday of one of the members of my glee club. We threw her a surprise party.

**From Blaine**

Cool, which one

**From Rachel**

Tina, the Asian girl

**From Blaine**

Tell her happy birthday for me

**From Rachel**

Will do. Want me to say something to Kurt as well?

**From Blaine**

Screw you

He kind of hated it that Rachel had found something to tease him with but he still managed to laugh while he put is phone away, sighing deeply. He let himself fall on his bed. For a long while he stared up at the ceiling but all he saw were the bright blue eyes that had looked at him a week ago. He rolled on his side, wishing he had something of a photo of Kurt. Just something that made it able to remember Kurt without wearing his brains out so much. They were already exhausted from having a crush all day anyway.

Then it hit him. Rachel had yearbooks. Yearbooks with photos of the students of William McKinley High; Kurt was one of them.

He practically ran out of his room, stumbling on the way, and sneaked of to the room next to his. He did not need his parents to hear him or else he would need to explain why he was in Rachel's room. One embarrassing conversation per day was more than enough.

Silently he slipped into his sister's room. He was so grateful that Rachel was one of the tidiest and organized people he had ever met. Since she kept all her schoolbooks, reading books, song books and magazines neatly stacked in her large bookcase, it only took him seconds to locate the yearbooks. He grabbed all of them and fled back to his own room.

Back there, he went through all the books, one by one. In his freshman year, Kurt just looked adorable, Blaine thought. His face wasn't as defined as it was now. He could see in Kurt's proportions that he was a shorter back then and he had a completely different was of styling his hair.

To Blaine's surprise, Kurt was included in the group picture of the football squad. He looked very frail and small compared to his buff teammates surrounding him, but Blaine thought it made sense when he read Kurt was the kicker.

"Way of breaking the stereotype," he whispered admiringly.

He couldn't find any more photos in the book so he moved on to their sophomore year. Kurt had already started to change into the beauty he was now. Blaine's was completely baffled when he discovered Kurt had exchanged his football uniform for one of the infamous William McKinley High Cheerios.

"Fuck, you were a cheerleader too?" He gasped but then sighed. Cheerleaders, girls and boys, didn't go for nerds like him, did they?

Rachel hadn't gotten her junior yearbook yet as the school year had only just started, but he found a sort-of-yearbook she had created herself. One entirely focused on the New Directions; the only group where she felt like she belonged, despite the fact that the club often couldn't stand her and she hadn't made friends until recently.

Unlike the other books, this one did have pictures of their junior year and quite a few of them too. The farther Blaine went to the back, the more photos of Kurt and Mercedes he discovered. One of the last photos - one of Kurt alone - pictured him exactly the way Blaine had seen him a week ago. The same hair, the same smile, the same gleam in his eyes; only the clothes were different. It must've been taken a few days ago.

Blaine stared at it for a few minutes and concluded that the image of Kurt that his brains had stored didn't do the beautiful boy any justice whatsoever. Kurt was far more breathtaking than he'd remembered.

This photo was his; He just had to keep it. Rachel had so many, surely she wouldn't miss one. He hid it under his pillow and returned the books to their original place in the same manners as when he went to get them. After that, Blaine locked himself in his room. He put on Teenage Dream loud and on repeat and sang along with song, picture in his hand, dancing and daydreaming of Kurt as he did so.

**-oOo-**

At the same time, somewhere else in Lima, Ohio, Kurt was sitting alone at Tina's party. He had danced with most of the girls already but someone had put on a romantic song and almost everybody had started slow dancing.

There were Finn and Rachel, who would never not look weird together because of their insane height difference. Mercedes was dancing next to them with her boyfriend Sam, and Finn and Rachel's other side was taken by exchange student Rory, who was dancing with New Directions newest member, Sugar. Mike twirled Tina around in the middle of the room and Puck pretty much had his face buried between Lauren's boobs. Artie, who was wheelchair-bound, had his girlfriend Brittany on his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck, and he made the chair spin.

From a corner, Santana was glaring and scowling at those last two. Kurt suspected that she was in love with Brittany, but wouldn't admit it. He did not ask her about it either because he knew how it felt when people presumed things about your feelings and sexuality, while you yourself were still struggling.

Quinn was also somewhere outside. Being the ex of Finn, Puck and Sam made it uncomfortable for her to be around a slow dancing glee club. Since Kurt had no date or boyfriend and he wasn't particularly fond of Santana, nor she of him, he was forced to sit this one out.

Boyfriend. He couldn't help but to think of Blaine when he heard that term. He pictured how Blaine was there, politely asking him for a dance. Blaine would lock his arm around his waist and hold him tightly as they swayed across the room. All the while they wouldn't look anywhere but in each other's eyes and the rest of the world would cease to exist. But Blaine, super handsome Blaine, was besides Rachel's twin, also way out of his league. But dreaming couldn't hurt, right?

"Hummel, will you stop acting like a creep. That empty stare of yours is just freaky," Santana sneered at him on her way out of the room, probably to find Quinn.

"I thought freaky was your thing," Kurt snapped back, but decided that daydreaming of Blaine in public wasn't the smartest idea. He didn't felt like joining the two cheerleaders in their never ending misery, so he sought company in his iPhone instead.

A delightful surprise awaited him; Rachel had sent him a FaceBook friend request. It seems his friend had listened to him when he told her that no one was on MySpace anymore. He accepted her and snooped a bit through her wall and saw a comment from Blaine Berry-Anderson, joking that Rachel finally had entered modern times.

He opted whether or not to send Blaine a request but decided not to do so...yet. They'd only met once and he didn't really know if Blaine liked him. Actually, he didn't know anything of Blaine other than the few things Rachel had told him and Mercedes. No, adding Blaine now would just seem way too stalkerish.

However, Kurt saw no reason to not visit his profile and he was blown away by Blaine's profile picture. The guy was at some festival, shirtless - damn, what a body - covered in body paint, shorts low on his hips, wild hair and a pair of bright coloured sunglasses on his face. Kurt could barely believe this was the same guy who walk into the Berry-Anderson kitchen, wearing an unwrinkled school uniform with gelled down hair. The photo got saved to his phone and luckily just in time. Because the music had changed and Tina and Brittany were now standing in front of him, practically begging to do the Single Ladies dance with them.


	3. Chapter 3

A week passed and Blaine eagerly came home from Dalton, hoping his sister was having another sleepover. But for the second week in a row, there was none. Well there was, but it was at Kurt's. All the Glee girls were there, because Kurt was the only one who had all the products for a proper facial and they were going to have a sort of spa-day. So he went another week without seeing anything of Kurt, except for the photo he carried around everywhere.

The week after, he came home with no hope are expectations at all; especially since Rachel vaguely mentioned something along of a sleepover at Mercedes. Right as he pulled up his car at his house, one of his fathers did as well and he was caring several shopping bags with him.

"Hey Pa," Blaine greeted him and ran over to help his father carry all the stuff inside.

"Hey kiddo, how was school?" Bryan Berry-Anderson smiled.

"Great," his son answered. "The Warblers picked me to lead them at this year's sectionals. We'll probably have to go up against Rachel's school. I hope we don't; if we don't, we'll surely meet at the Regionals. But I'd rather postpone a duel between our clubs as long as possible. Oh, and the soccer squad won another match. David was great He made a hat-trick and everything. Classes have been hard, but I'm keeping up just fine."

Bryan loved to hear his son speak so enthusiastically about his alma mater. Knowing Blaine could be who was and still be so happy and comfortable in school, was everything he could wish for as a parent. If only he could feel the same about his daughter's school.

When all the bags were carried in and they both had greeted and chatted up with Liam, Bryan handed Blaine two little bags.

"One's for you, one's for your sister. Have a look and take Rachel's upstairs to her, okay?"

Blaine peaked in one and saw a small iPhone box. The other bag held one as well.

"Thanks Pa! Thanks Dad" He practically yelled and flew his fathers around the neck before running upstairs to find his twin. Now usually Blaine was the epitome of politeness, but he was so excited right now to show his sister their new phones, that he stormed in to her room without knocking; only to find her on the floor, painting Mercedes' nails. They were both already in their pyjamas.

"Hey Blaine," Rachel said after she recovered from the fright she had of someone suddenly barging into her room.

"Hey Rach, hey Mercedes."

It wasn't until he heard a small gasp, when he noticed there was a third person in the room sitting on Rachel's bed. He though his heart had jumped out of his chest when he saw who was laying there. Clad in dark blue, flannel pyjamas, holding a phone in one hand and a pizza box in the other, was Kurt Hummel. Live and in person.

Blaine pretty much froze to the spot he's standing on. His heart raged, almost tugging him to towards the boy on the bed and the jitters in his stomach had taken the form of a hurricane.

"H-h-hi K-Kurt," he stammered awkwardly. It wasn't intentional; his brain just wouldn't cooperate as it should. He mentally beat himself for making such a horrible impression like the first time they had met. But much to his surprise, Kurt started to smile and brightly too. That one smile heated Blaine up like a cosy fireplace and a cup of hot chocolate in the middle of the winter.

"Hi Blaine," Kurt answered. His voice was as pure and sweet as Blaine remembered it to be. His lips curled up to a wide grin and Kurt copied him.

"Uhm Blaine, did you need something?" Rachel suddenly interrupted their subtle flirting - something neither boy actually realized they were doing.

"Eh yeah," Blaine mumbled as tore his gaze away from Kurt. He was slightly annoyed that Rachel had ruined that moment.

He handed her one of the bags and watched his sister have the same reaction he had only minutes before. She and Mercedes immediately unpacked the little device and went over everything it contained. Blaine peeked over at Kurt again and sighed dreamily over the way Kurt watched his friends with a smile.

All of the sudden Kurt locked eyes with him and they were both taken aback a bit by the unexpected connection. Kurt was the first one to recover and held the pizza box out to Blaine.

"Want a slice?"

Blaine slightly hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't want a slice, but there was just that chance that Kurt had the same eating habits like his sister.

"Don't worry. It's a normal cheese pizza. I can't stand that vegan crap Rachel stuffs down her throat either."

Rachel, who'd caught that remark, huffed something about being the only one caring about the well-being of animals, but her complaint was overpowered by Blaine's loud laughter. That one comment was enough to like Kurt a million times more.

"Mind if sit next to you?" Blaine asked quietly when Rachel had gone back to her new phone and he walked over to the bed.

"No, please sit," Kurt answered, slightly blushing. He scooted a bit; though that wasn't really necessary as Rachel's bed wasn't that small and Kurt was very slender. They'd easily fit on that bed together. So Blaine sat down and took a slice, eagerly ate it away and took another.

"Sorry," he said apologetically to Kurt. "I haven't had any dinner yet and I'm kind of hungry."

"Eat as much as you like then. I couldn't finish it all by myself anyway," Kurt replied with a caring tone in his voice. His heart melted because of the thankful smile Blaine gave him and took a slice himself, slowly nibbling it away.

"So you joined the Apple-craze, huh?" Kurt asked, nodding towards the box now lying between them.

"Yeah," Blaine smiled, grateful that Kurt came up with a topic. "Our dads said we could pick any phone we wanted. So why not one of the best?"

"Oh one of the best it is. I'm pretty inseparable from mine." Kurt grabbed his own phone from Rachel's nightstand and showed it to him. For some reason, Blaine was not surprised to see that the phone was protected by a case with the logo of Chanel on it.

The conversations about the phones casually changed into one about apps. That one somehow leaded to schools -Kurt pretty much thought that Dalton was gay heaven. Extracurricular activities and Glee clubs lead them to talking about their personal interests. They barely noticed how easy they chatted. They got each other's jokes, responded enthusiastically to the many things they found they had in common, laughed and giggled when the other was being cute and somehow complemented each other on many levels.

By the time they finally took a breather, two hours had passed. They never even noticed that Rachel and Mercedes had taken place behind Rachel's laptop to chat with Tina and to catch up on Gossip Girl. So now they were both lying on Rachel's bed, facing each other; silent but dreamily and flirtatiously grinning. Before, they had both fallen for each other's outside, now they were both falling in love with the inside.

"Hey, you two! Are you going to keep staring at each other or are you going to join Rachel and me. We're going to watch a movie," Mercedes said as she chucked a handful of popcorn to the two smitten boys ("Mercedes, my bed! Don't throw popcorn!")

"Which one?" Blaine asked, slightly disappointed that the entire sort-of-romantic air around Kurt and him had been driven away by pieces of sweetened popcorn.

"Sweeney Todd. The Tim Burton version," Rachel commented as she diligently tried to clean her bed from sweet snacks and teenage boys.

"Oh, I am so in!" Kurt yelled. Blaine smiled warmly, remembering how Kurt just had told him that he was a fan of Burton and of the protagonist of many Burton movies, Johnny Depp. Oly one of the things they had in common

"Will you be joining us, Blaine?"

Blaine was a little surprised by the way Kurt had addressed him so out of the blue. But he couldn't decline Johnny Depp _and_ Kurt, right? He'd be crazy not to say yes.

"I will but I'm going to change first. Dalton uniforms look rather cool but they're not quite comfortable."

"Yeah, the uniform looks really good on you," Kurt said aloud before he could stop himself. He mentally slapped himself for it, but it wasn't really necessary. Blaine flashed him a bright grin.

"Okay, out you!" Rachel snapped and started to push her brother out of her room. She and Mercedes by now had discovered that once Blaine and Kurt locked eyes, they didn't stop. "Go change. We'll see you downstairs." She slammed the door shut and as soon as they all could hear Blaine shut the door to his own room, the girls pounced on Kurt.

"Oh my God, my brother is so in love with you," Rachel chirped.

"No he isn't," Kurt frowned. "He's just very nice and polite. That's all."

"Are you kidding me?" Mercedes exclaimed. "That boy has total heart eyes when he just looks at you. And when you smile he totally drools. Believe us; he's got a big crush. And you have one on him."

Kurt sighed and shook his head at the girls. "That I might have a crush is something I won't deny, but it's not mutual. He's way out of my league anyway. I have a bigger chance dating a bully like Karofsky than dating Blaine."

"Kuuuuuurt," Rachel whined. "Stop putting yourself down like that. Look, I know exactly when my brother likes someone. He liked quite some guys before. Like, innocent teen crushes; the way you used to like Finn or Mercedes liked you. But the way he looks at you...the way he talks about you...it goes far beyond I've ever seen him act towards someone he likes. He's in love with you, accept it."

As the girls dragged him downstairs to make new popcorn, Kurt pondered over Rachel's words. Could Blaine really like him? It seemed to unrealistic to actually believe, but he tried to. When the popcorn was ready, they retreated in the living room. Rachel and Blaine's dads were in the basement with company so they had free reign over the TV. Rachel and Mercedes sat next to each other on the large corner couch with a bowl of popcorn between them, leaving Blaine the choice to sit next to Kurt, Mercedes or somewhere in the big space between them.

Just as the movie started, Blaine came down the stairs. Kurt felt his stomach knot when he saw his crush. Blaine was wearing a pair of grey pyjama pants, a white v-neck shirt, which fitted him way too well. And he had taken a quick shower, so his hair was gel free - thus very curly. The guy didn't hesitate for a second to take the spot right next to Kurt and gave him a grin when he did so. Maybe Rachel was actually right, Kurt thought secretly.

Right at the first song, all four of them sang loudly along. Kurt and Blaine were far beyond impressed with each other voices. It was the first time they'd heard the other sing in person; of course Kurt had looked op the Warblers on YouTube and Blaine had watched some of the video's Rachel had of the New Directions. Pure and live was better in their opinions.

About half an hour into the movie Kurt suddenly felt a hand locking around his wrist. He snapped his head to the left, only to find Blaine nervously smiling at him and motioning for him to come closer. He hesitated for a moment because he didn't get what Blaine meant, but when Blaine silently tapped on the little empty piece of couch right next to him, it hit him. He glanced over at Mercedes and Rachel first but they were completely absorbed in the movie. He scooted closer to Blaine, almost unnoticeably and kept doing it until their thighs were pressed together.

Blaine's heart beat fast. He could hardly believe that after two weeks of pining over Kurt, the boy was so close and willingly at that. Now that he had taken the step to invite Kurt over, he knew he needed to have courage and continue. So in a very subtle way, he laid his arm around Kurt's shoulder.

Kurt jolted when he felt it. A, because he was taken by surprise and B, because no one had ever done that with him. Well, Mike had, but it had been completely platonic. Kurt was on his way to class, alone, when Mike had caught up to him and had put an arm around his shoulder so they could secretly talk about a surprise Mike was planning for his and Tina's anniversary. Kurt always thought of Mike as a good guy. Mainly because he was the only guy, who never flinched away whenever he got to close or always treated him like one of the girls. (While the other Glee boys had stopped doing the first thing over time, they still tend to treat him as one of the girls.)

But this wasn't Mike, this was Blaine. Blaine, whose twin sister just had told him, might have a crush on him. That made everything different, right?

Only Blaine had taken Kurt's reaction in the wrong way. The way Kurt flinched when he touched him couldn't be right. Maybe he overstepped too many boundaries by doing that. He moved his arm right away but was stopped by a hand that gripped his wrist. Then Kurt looked at him and those big blue eyes reassured him that this was okay. That Kurt didn't mind at all and so he left his arm dangling around Kurt's shoulders.

Kurt grinned satisfied at Blaine and released the tight grip he had on his wrist. This time it was Blaine's hand lunging for his, basically asking him in a non-verbal way to not let go of him. When Kurt came over the first wave of confusion, he didn't. He let Blaine hold his hand and gasped when Blaine started to brush his thumb over his knuckles. He shot his head up and his eyes found Blaine's, as Blaine's weren't watching the movie any longer. They just sat like that for a while, facing each other, drifting into a world of their own and ignoring reality.


	4. Chapter 4

In one of the middle spots of the couch, Rachel sat deeply invested in one of her favourite musicals. There was never a moment in which she would say no to watching Sweeney Todd.

'Not While I'm Around' came on and she instantly thought of her brother. She always did, because it was their song; they always sang it to each other when one of them was in a sad mood or had a very bad day. She couldn't help but seek a connection with Blaine right now. When she did, a big surprise hit her.

Her best friend was now completely pressed against her brother. They were holding hands and smiling almost lovingly at each other. Kurt then tucked his legs beside him and rested his head on Blaine's shoulder while focusing on the TV again. Blaine on his turn gently nuzzled his nose into the soft brown hair and started to mouth the lyrics to the song, directing them at Kurt.

_Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around._

_Nothing's gonna harm you, no sir, not while I'm around._

_Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays._

_I'll send 'em howling. I don't care, I got ways._

Even though Kurt couldn't hear him, Blaine kept mouthing the lyrics. Rachel didn't need their twin bond to understand Blaine meant every word. That was all written in Blaine's eyes.

_No one's gonna hurt you, no one's gonna dare. _

_Others can desert you. Not to worry, whistle, I'll be there._  
><em>Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while. But in time... <em>

_Nothing can harm you. Not while I'm around..._

What stood out to Rachel the most, was how happy her brother and her best friend seemed. This was by far the happiest she'd seen either of them in years. It was as if they were radiating love. They were meant to be together, she was convinced.

Blaine's gaze drifted to her and they made a connection. His eyes gave away that he was falling hard for the boys in his arms; that it all felt so right. Rachel simply smiled and nodded. Blaine smiled back and pulled Kurt a little bit closer. Automatically Kurt snuggled closer and shifted his head a little closer to the crook of Blaine's neck.

At the end of the movie, Kurt exchanged shy glances with Blaine when they released each other. Rachel had already skipped over to the TV to collect the DVD and started to gather all the empty cups and candy bowls.

"Never mind, sis. I'll clean up. You guys can go upstairs and continue with your sleepover."

Kurt's heart swelled at the display of chivalrousness from Blaine. There just weren't that many boys who were so extremely polite these days.

Rachel thanked her twin with a warm hug, and she and Mercedes wished him a good night before fleeing up the stairs in a cloud of giggles. Both girls had noticed the way Blaine and Kurt had sat together; such things needed to be discussed immediately, mind you.

Kurt shook his head while pinching the bridge of his nose; he knew he was in for a very long night.

But right now he didn't know how to handle the situation he was currently in. Should he just casually say Blaine good night and walk away? No, that would be too weird after the way they sort of cuddled. Should he hug Blaine? Would a kiss on the cheek be too much?

"Hey Kurt?"

A soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts, much like the hand that was placed on his shoulder. He focused and saw Blaine right before him looking rather nervous.

"Thank you," Blaine said. "For tonight I mean. The talking and stuff. It was very satisfying to be able to talk to someone who gets me. I mean, my friends get me of course. I can talk to them about sports, videogames and music and other general things. And I can talk with Rachel about my love for theatre and musicals and my deepest personal issues. But I know no one with whom I can talk about other things I'm interested in. There's a part of me that also loves cliché things like Vogue and Marie Claire, Project Runway and America's Next Topmodel. But none of my friends read or watch those things and God knows Rachel has never touched a Vogue in her life, with those awful animal sweaters she wears. "

They laughed hard at this, knowing it was the cold truth. Blaine sat down on the couch again and Kurt followed right after.

"But it's not just those things you know," he continued. "Not at all. I've never in my life met someone of my age who knows exactly what I went through before Dalton. The bullying, the bashing…not one person."

Blaine bit a little on his lip, chocking down the anger he felt coming up as he bitterly started at the floor. The he felt two soft hands closing over his own. He looked up into those bright blue eyes and felt some sort of calmness washing over him.

"When I talked to you, it was the first time I said to myself, I'm not alone."

"You felt understood," Kurt whispered and Blaine nodded in return, wiping a tear from his cheek. "I know. Everything you said is exactly how I feel too. It's nice to see recognition in someone, instead of compulsory compassion and unwanted pity. My friends mean well when they say they feel sorry when they found out I got tossed around my some bulky jock again. But there's no one in McKinley who knows what it's like to be the prime example for others not to come out like I did. And the teachers just don't care."

Suddenly Blaine started sobbing and that turned out into full crying. He buried his face in his hands, feeling slightly ashamed that Kurt saw him like this.

"Hey Blaine, don't cry," Kurt said worriedly as he climbed in Blaine's lap and wrapped his arms around him. He rocked Blaine a bit, while the tears streamed hard down the latter boy's face.

"I'm so sorry," Blaine hiccupped. "This just all reminds me of the past. And you're still dealing with it. I feel like a coward for fleeing to Dalton while you're still in it. You're so strong."

"I'm not," Kurt replied softly. "I'm pretty broken and I meet my limit every day. Any idea how many times a week I lock myself in a bathroom stall and cry, wishing it would all stop. Glee, my friends in Glee, and my dream of becoming Broadway stars with Rachel are the only things keeping me still together. If I had been able to run to a school like Dalton, I probably would've done so too. It's not being a coward, it's called surviving.

"Can you really call yourself out when you ran, because it was you alone against all the homophobic jocks - who outnumber you by the tenfold - and no one's willing to help you? At least I have my Glee friends who have my back. You had no one but Rachel and she's a Munchkin."

Blaine snickered and wrapped his arms around Kurt's slim waist, while pressing his face against Kurt's chest.

"I've felt like a coward my whole high school life and you just killed that within a few seconds."

"I guess I'm just that good," Kurt replied with a smile. It was suddenly very warm and it was all because of Blaine's hug. Without question he hugged Blaine back - and tightly at that too – while slowly combing his fingers through Blaine's dark, springy curls. He didn't know why, but he really like this; just sitting on Blaine's lap and playing with his hair. He could do it for hours and Blaine seemed to enjoy it very much.

"What are you doing to me," Blaine sighed. "I barely know you, yet I'm so at ease with you; as if we've been best friends for a lifetime. "

"I know," Kurt smiled. "I could ask you the same thing."

They fell into a comfortable silence in which they did not let each other go, nor did Kurt stop stroking Blaine's hair. It wasn't until they heard some clatter coming from upstairs that they remembered why Kurt was at Blaine's house again. He was still part of a sleepover.

"You should go," Blaine said remorseful. He didn't want Kurt to go but he knew Rachel would come down if the other boy stayed too long.

"Yeah, I know," Kurt replied sadly. He got up from Blaine's lap and couldn't help but to run his hand through Blaine's curls one more time. Blaine laughed and fished Kurt's hand out of his hair but didn't let go just yet.

"Could we…err…you know…do this again…some times. The talking I mean. Like we did earlier…I really liked it."

Kurt's eyes widened at this request. He couldn't quite believe this was actually happening. It wasn't an invite for a date, but it was more than a guy had ever asked him for.

"Of course. I'd love to even."

They took their phones out and exchanged phone numbers. After, Kurt helped Blaine cleaning the living room up –not without stealing glances from each other - and within minutes Blaine guided Kurt back to Rachel's room. They awkwardly stared at each other before Blaine took the initiative and stepped forward to engulf Kurt with a tight embrace.

"Thank you again. Sweet dreams," he whispered into Kurt's ear, not wanting his sister to hear them and ruin the moment.

"Sweet dreams," Kurt repeated and offered Blaine the sweetest smile. Many feelings raged through him as he watched how Blaine went to the adjacent room; they waved to each other before Blaine entered the room and closed the door behind him.

"You are so not good for my heart," Kurt mumbled enchanted and entered Rachel's room. Right away he got washed away by the gulf of questions coming at him.

"Did you kiss him?" Rachel said with a high pitched, giggly tone as she all but pushed him on her bed.

"You are so weird, Rach," Kurt snorted, shaking his head a little. "Most people wouldn't want to know whether or not their siblings swapped saliva with someone. Just as I do not wish to hear any stories from Finn about his and your sex life. But to answer your question: no we didn't. Nothing romantic even came up."

The girls were already prepared to make protesting noises, but Kurt stopped them and went on explaining what happened.

"We just talked about how it is to finally know someone, who went through everything we went through. Your brother is so scarred from middle school, Rach. He tries hard to hide it, but his eyes deceive him. And then he started crying too. It was heart breaking."

"He cried?" Mercedes gasped. "That's so sad. Is he alright"

Kurt just nodded, "I think so. He was looking better when he went to his room."

Suddenly Rachel bolted from off her bed and out of her room. Kurt and Mercedes just stared at the doorway and turned to one another.

"Wow, weird," Mercedes mumbled and then took Kurt's hands in hers. "I get that you didn't talk about anything romantic, but at least explain what that was between you two when we were watching Sweeney Todd? You know that wasn't just a 'just friends' – air quotes – thing."

"I honestly don't know 'Cedes. I don't know where it came from, or why any of us did it. But it felt so right though. I understand now why all you Glee-couples like to glue to each other all day. I was practically in heaven when he had his arms around me." They laughed because Mercedes fiercely nodded in agreement. She never let an opportunity go to snuggle with Sam when they were in class or Glee.

"But I think that he just tried to start some sort of bond that could lead to a friendship," Kurt continued. "Trying to prove he means no harm or something; or trying to let me know I can be at ease around him. I don't know really. I want to think that he meant it in a romantic way but he didn't say anything of it and I'm still not all that convinced that he likes me like that. Rachel has been wrong many times before."

"That's true," Mercedes nodded. "But maybe you should talk to him about it. Just to clear it all out. Who knows? Maybe he does really like you, but he's too shy to straight up say it."

"On one hand, I'd like to do that, but on the other hand I'm scared," Kurt admitted. "I kind of really like him and I don't want my hopes to get crushed by him saying he doesn't like me that way."

"Seriously?" Mercedes snorted, rolling her eyes as she gave Kurt a light shove. "Did you not see the way he was totally baffled when you two first met?"

"Yeah, you were completely baffled when you saw Matt for the first time. Your love for him quickly died when you started talking to him, didn't it. You didn't shed a single tear when he transferred. And look at how long you and Sam had been friends before sparks finally started flying. Let's not forget how things ended for me after I first laid eyes on Finn. I thought he was some God back then. Right now, I don't even understand what I saw in him. I just…"

He sighed deeply and got off the bed. Without a single word, he mindlessly walked around in circles, ignoring every time Mercedes said his name. After a while he stopped in front of Rachel's bookcase because his eyes fell on a fairly recent photo of the Berry-Anderson twins. He picked it up and stared intently at Blaine's face.

"Just look at him, 'Cedes. He's so insanely beautiful. It's like I get punched every time I lay my eyes on him. And he's so sweet too, unlike any guy I've ever met. He understands me perfectly and we actually have loads in common. He's really smart and very talented and he has the voice of a rockstar. He seems so perfect sometimes that it drives me and my hormones crazy. I don't want my heart to get shattered because it turns out he doesn't reciprocate my feelings."

"Oh Kurt," Mercedes cooed. "C'mere."

She waved him over and Kurt did so after putting the photo back. The two of them curled up together on Rachel's bed, and Mercedes hugged her best friend while he muttered about the cruelness of love and pined over Blaine some more.

**-oOo-**

In the room next to Rachel's, Blaine lay on his bed. Except for the screen of his laptop lying beside him – it was playing an episode of Sherlock – the lamp on his bedside table was the only thing illuminating the room. He wasn't paying any attention to his laptop though; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get Kurt out of his head. His whole body tingled just by the thought of Kurt lying in his arms, of him sitting in his lap and playing with his hair. He didn't want Kurt to stop.

He couldn't help but wonder why Kurt had agreed to sit with him during the movies. He himself kind of invited him out of a sudden impulse. He had fantasized about it since the start of the movie but didn't have the guts to do it and suddenly his hand was around Kurt's wrist. The last thing he expected was Kurt actually going into the invite.

His conclusion was that Kurt just was ridiculously nice to him, because Kurt never had any guy act so open and welcoming to him like Blaine had– which was quite ridiculous. Did the boys at McKinley not have eyes? Why would anybody ignore such a gorgeous human being? If this was New York instead of Lima, somebody like Kurt would be worshipped by many. Luckily this wasn't New York though, because he would stand no chance against the men there. Not that he had any chance with Kurt now. But at least they'd opened a door to a very promising friendship. That was better than nothing at all, right?

A soft nock on his door shook Blaine out of his thoughts and it opened before he could even answer.

"Blainey? Are you awake?" Rachel softly asked, while poking her head through the opening.

"Hey sis," Blaine smiled and motioned for her to come in. "Aren't you supposed to have a sleepover?"

Rachel tiptoed over to his bed and seated on the edge. "Yes. But...ehm...Kurt mentioned you cried earlier because of some things you two talked about and I just had to see if you were okay."

"I am," Blaine reassured her. "Kurt said things that made me feel loads better. Not just about now, but about the past too. I wish I had met him a few years back, 'cause I would've struggled a whole lot less."

Rachel grimaced. She knew her brother was right.

"I kind of feel guilty. I did think of you whenever I saw him get tortured. But I never thought of introducing the two of you because I loathed Kurt and his talent so much. I always was too focused on fighting him for leads. Any idea how exceptional his voice is?"

"You don't have to feel guilty. You weren't friends at all. And I knew how competitive you can get towards people who can seriously take you on. Yes, it would've benefited both Kurt and me but it isn't something you should feel guilty about. Besides, we know each other now. Talking with him now proves to be just as helpful. It works quite therapeutic actually."

The twins exchanged identical smiles, confirming that they both were okay. Rachel then leaned over and took her brother's hand in her own. She let her thumb stroke over his knuckles and whispered the question she wanted to ask him ever since he had laid eyes on Kurt and wanted to ask him even more after she saw him singing to her best friend.

"Do you like him?"

"Who?"

"Duh, Kurt of course. Do you like him?"

"Yes," Blaine shrugged. "He's one of the most interesting people I've ever met. He's unique and incredibly sweet. And he understands me in ways not even you can."

"Blainey," Rachel sighed, rolling her eyes. She took it upon herself to move from the edge to the middle of the bed and leaned her head against her brother's shoulder. "I didn't mean like in an amicable way. I mean, do you _like _him?" she asked, putting emphasis on the word like.

Blaine's mouth popped out in a perfect oh. Well, the answer was a very convincing yes of course. That was one question Blaine didn't need to hesitate about at all. But he knew that whatever he answered now, he sister was going to pass through in the other room and Kurt was going to know it. He was already crazy about that boy, but pursuing a friendship with him was important to him. He wasn't convinced that Kurt liked him the way he liked Kurt, and he didn't know how Kurt would react if Kurt found out about his deep crush. It could kill the friendship thing. But he couldn't just say no, because what if, maybe, hopefully, Kurt liked him back in even the littlest way possible? So he went to the only answer that seemed right at the moment.


	5. Chapter 5

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Rachel gasped. "But you guys talked for hours; literally. How do you not know if you like him?"

"Yes Rach, we talked and I like him, more than enough to want to be friends. But talking to someone doesn't automatically make you fall in love, you know_." Well, in my case it certainly does_, he thought secretly.

"But you were flabbergasted when you first met him," his sister stammered confused.

"I was," he answered honestly. "I won't deny that. He's really beautiful _- more like irrationally gorgeous_, he added mentally - but just because a guy is beautiful and I'm gay, it doesn't mean that I'm in love with him right away."

Rachel shot him a very suspicious look through her squinting eyes, making Blaine immediately realise that she didn't believe him. Of course she didn't. She's his twin and super best friend. She could see through all his lies. She_always_did. Odds were she'd already seen in his eyes how he felt about Kurt

"If you say so, then I'm going with it," she brought forth on a tone that just confirmed to Blaine she didn't believe him. "Just know that if you do like him or fall in love with him in the future, I support it one hundred percent. You deserve someone like him and vice versa."

Blaine simply nodded and pecked her on her temple. "You should go back to your friends. They'll wonder where you are."

They wished each other good night again and Rachel made her way back to the door. Right before she opened it, Blaine called her name, making her turn around.

"Yes?"

"Does...does he like me?"

Rachel stared intently at her brother. She then let her lips curl up in a mischievous grin.

"He doesn't know."

Blaine pouted a little and grabbed a pencil from his nightstand to chuck it at his sister.

"You're mean"

"And you are in denial. Good night Blaine."

She didn't stay to hear her brother's frustrated groan, but went back to her own room instead, where she found her friends curled up together on her bed. They were softly talking and the only thing she picked up was Kurt saying, "He's almost perfect."

"Who is?" Rachel asked, pretending not to know the answer.

"Mr. Shue," Kurt mocked as he motioned for her to come and sit with them. She did so and took place at Kurt's other side, so both girls now lay next to him with their heads on his shoulder and their arms around him.

"Were you with Blaine?" Kurt asked.

Rachel nodded. "You said that he had cried and I just had to check if he was okay. I probably wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't know for sure that he was."

She looked up to find both Kurt and Mercedes smiling very fondly at her.

"What's up? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No offence, Rach," Mercedes started. "But usually at school whenever you care for someone or help them, you only care because helping that person somehow benefits you. But when it comes to Blaine, you are so selfless. You don't even think about if helping him might be in your favour. You just jump on it. It's really nice to see this side of you."

Kurt nodded along in agreement and Rachel got a teary smile. She reached a bit over Kurt so she could hug the both of them.

"First of all, no offence taken. I know it's true. And Blaine; he's, besides my twin, all I had for a long while. He and I just have that special bond. I cannot help but to be selfless around him."

She sighed and then sat up straight, tucking her legs under her.

"Blaine actually told me a while to be less selfish like that in school, you know. That if I came off truly honest in my actions, people would give me a chance. I tried and Kurt gave me that chance and now the three of us are friends."

"Well, then we owe Blaine a huge thank you," Kurt said joyfully.

"Yes," Mercedes agreed as she turned to Kurt. "You should go over to his room and thank him with a big kiss."

She and Rachel broke out in loud laughter while Kurt pouted and grabbed one of Rachel's pillows to smack both girls.

"He said you're really beautiful," Rachel teasingly cooed as she hopped over Kurt and sought cover behind Mercedes to avoid the incoming pillow-attack.

"He did not!" Kurt exclaimed. He sat frozen on the bed, eyes bulging out and mouth wide open.

He couldn't believe Blaine had actually said that. It just couldn't be true.

"I swear," Rachel smiled as honest as possible. "He claims not to know yet if he likes you in that kind of way or not, but I think he's totally lying."

Kurt furiously blushed and used the pillow he was still holding to bury his face in. The girls continued to tease him about it until the clock struck two am and Liam came in the room to shoo them all to bed. When Rachel and Mercedes each were settled on Rachel's bed, and Kurt found a comfortable position on Rachel's pullout couch, his phone buzzed under his pillow. At first he groggily wondered who in their right mind texted him at two in the morning. But all his annoyance disappeared immediately when he saw Blaine's name blinking on the screen. He was suddenly very eager and very much awake.

**Blaine**

_Hi Kurt. Thanks again for tonight. I really liked talking with you. You're one of the sweetest and kindest persons I've ever met. Sweet dreams, Blaine._

Kurt's heart swelled as a read the message a few times over with glimmering eyes. He finally managed to send Blaine a reply back, telling him that the experience felt the same to him and that he thought likewise of him. Both boys fell asleep with a huge grin on their face.

**-oOo-**

The Sunday after was the first time Blaine called Kurt. He'd already gone back to Dalton cause his sister was driving him crazy with her demands that he'd tell her all about his feeling for her best friend, even though he kept denying everything.

Initially, he just wanted to ask how Kurt was doing but they ended up talking for four whole hours, without realizing it. They knew Blaine would get in trouble as soon as his parents would get the phone bill. So they decided to move their conversations to Skype. They met there almost every day. First it was only talking but after a few days, they started to do homework together this way and even tutored each other - Blaine helped Kurt with his physics, while Kurt helped Blaine and even some friends of Blaine with French. They were really starting to bond, but it was still all on a friendship level; neither had the guts to say a thing about their feelings for the other.

In the upcoming weekend, they didn't see each other. It was the birthday of Carole, Kurt's stepmother, and Kurt found it rude to leave for a sleepover at Rachel's; even if he wanted to see Blaine really bad after their week on Skype. Besides, Carole's birthday was an excellent excuse to try out some new cake recipes.

Blaine was rather disappointed as well, but understood completely. He wouldn't go to his friends either if one of his family members had a birthday. But he want to see Kurt and very badly at that. He'd experienced how comfortable he felt around the other boy and these conversations only added to that. Talking to Kurt easily became his favourite moment of the day. Just seeing his crush's face on his computer screen made up any stressful day at Dalton.

Those days even became much more stressful than they were to begin with because he had created the habit to daydream during classes. He simply could not forget how Kurt had sat on his lap and played with his hair. It had been one of the most wonderful things he'd ever experienced in his entire life.

To make up for their missed weekend, Blaine scraped up all of his courage and asked Kurt to have coffee with him. It wasn't a date per se; he just really wanted to see Kurt in person. He didn't even know if Kurt viewed him as more than a friend. Because friends they were. They had established that after Kurt had slipped that he already saw Blaine as one of his closest friends, and Blaine had said he felt the same about Kurt.

So they met up at the Lima Bean, had coffee and the time of their lives together. Afterwards they took a trip to a nearby mall and just strolled around, going in and out of shops. Blaine recommended a few good albums in a music store he loved, while Kurt gave Blaine some excellent clothing tips and even got him to buy a leather jacket that looked breathtaking on him. Blaine on his turn, refused to let Kurt leave the mall without buying a white sweater with blue and red stripes because Kurt looked beyond stunning in it. A few hours and a couple of shopping bags later, they had dinner together too, but then it was really time to part.

Acting like a perfect gentleman, Blaine walked Kurt to his Navigator. They were walking very close together, and Blaine even had his arm wrapped around Kurt's waist.

"Thank you for inviting me," Kurt said softly. "I can't remember having this much fun in a long time. I love hanging with my Glee girls, but this is different somehow."

"Yeah, I could never get Wes or David to do this and Nick and Jeff would probably kill me just for suggesting it. They're all shop-phobic. Oh, speaking of Nick. Both he and our French teach send their gratefulness to you. Nick passed his first test in months since you've helped him. Our French Teacher had already given up on him."

They'd reached Kurt's navigator already and now kind of stood there facing each other. They both just smiled, picturing in their heads how the other stepped forward and just kissed them. But that obviously wasn't going to happen as neither dared to out of fear of misinterpreting their bond and thus messing up an already great friendship.

"Do you have to go back to Dalton now?" Kurt asked.

"Yes. Curfew is in an hour and a half. I'll make it in time if I leave now," Blaine sighed and took a deep breath. "I really love hanging out with you, Kurt. Can we do this again soon?"

Blaine could barely contain his laugh when Kurt eagerly nodded his head.

"Okay, come on Skype later then. We'll set a day." He stepped a bit closer and placed a hand on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt cocked his head in surprise. "Think we'll see each other again before our next mall-trip?"

"I'll be at your house this Saturday," Kurt shrugged. "Rachel wants to have a Julie Andrews marathon. I don't think she or Mercedes will mind if you join. That's if you want to of course."

"Depends," Blaine said with a little smirk. He let his hand wander from Kurt's shoulder to the boy's hand and took it in his own. "Will you sit with me again like we did during Sweeney Todd?"

"If you want me to," Kurt replied with a teasing grin.

"I do."

"Then I will."

"Then I'll join."

"Fine."

"Fine."

They were now even closer, glaring daringly at each other but Blaine couldn't keep his face straight and started snickering, which made Kurt sort of giggle and then they both realised that maybe, very possibly, they were flirting. Kurt wondered if he should say something about it or not - because a part of him was still convinced he was imagining these things, but then he was almost positive Blaine was staring at his lips. He could be wrong but he could swear Blaine was gravitating even closer; closer for a kiss.

Suddenly a phone went off. It was Blaine's and he'd gotten a simple text from Wes, asking him if he was on his way back to Dalton yet. It had killed the entire mood. Blaine royally cursed himself for giving his friends his phone number.

"My mothers are worrying, so I better get going now."

Kurt nodded sadly but yelped when Blaine literally yanked him into a hug.

"I'll see you later on Skype?" Blaine whispered in his ear.

"Definitely."

They broke apart but Kurt closed the gap between them right away and lightly pecked Blaine on the cheek. He blushed heavily and jumped into his car after he muttered a quick goodbye. Blaine stood frozen on the spot.

Kurt had kissed him.

Whether it was friendly meant, or as more, it had felt like the best thing in the entire world.


	6. Chapter 6

Blaine watched how Kurt backed his car off out of the parking lot and drove away. It wasn't until the other boy was completely out of sight, that he could get his brains to function just well enough so he could move. On the way to his own car, his phone started to ring again and he saw ' Wes' written on the little screen. With a grunt he picked up.

"Hello mother."

"Very funny, Anderson." Most guys at Dalton, in particular his closest friends, were too lazy to say his full name or argued that it took too long to say it. So he went by the name Anderson at Dalton, since Blaine Berry made it sound like he was some sort of forest fruit.

"I wouldn't call you that if you didn't keep acting on it."

"Well excuse us if we care so much that we don't want to see you get in trouble, because your lover made you miss curfew. Speaking of him, how was your boyfriend?"

"Other than the fact that he isn't my boyfriend, he was so damned perfect. As usual."

"Did you kiss him?" Another voice suddenly asked while Wes complained in the background; most likely because his phone got taken from him.

"Hey Nick. And no, we didn't. I think the moment was there though."

"But?"

"But a certain person at Dalton sent me a text and ruined said moment."

About six different boys shouted obscene things to Wes; said boy could be heard fleeing the room, crying out excuses.

"Don't be too harsh on him guys. I want something left to kill when I get back," Blaine laughed to no one in particular, knowing he was on speaker.

"Good luck with that," a voice that was David's said above the racket that was coming from the Dalton end of the line. "Nick is chasing him now. That boy roots so hard for you and Kurt. It's like he wants you two to be together more than you do."

"David?"

"Yeah?"

"He kissed me on the cheek."

Instant silence.

"He did what!"

"It was more like a very quick peck though."

"Doesn't matter," Trent, one of the Warblers who got along with Blaine very well, said. "A kiss is a kiss. Are you now convinced he likes you?"

"That's the thing, Trent. I don't know what to think. At one point we talked about kissing and he said he only really kissed once. But he pretty much kisses all his Glee girls, save for a bitchy cheerleader, on the cheek every day. It just seems to be the way he greets his girlfriends. And now me apparently."

"Ahw, are you disappointed that another guy beat you to giving him his first kiss?" Jeff teased somewhere in the background.

"It was a girl," Blaine chuckled. Again, instant silence.

"A girl?" David asked confused.

"Tall, skinny, blonde cheerleader."

"You're joking right?" Jeff snorted, clearly not convinced.

"Nope, unless you know any guy with the name Brittany."

"You sure he's gay?" Trent laughed.

"Yup. It happened during some issues with his dad but those are private stories. You can ask him yourselves if he wants to tell you. I'm seeing him on Skype later."

"Damn, you two spent all afternoon and evening together and you still have the need to see each other online? How are you not dating, Blaine? I'm getting frustrated over my ship not being canon," Nick whined and everyone sighed, which they did every time he used fanfiction lingo.

"I'm hanging up guys. I'm about to drive. Someone feed Nick some Drarry. I'll be there in about an hour."

He greeted his friends and hung up. Without their distraction, his mind wandered right back to Kurt and the kiss.

He had seen Kurt blush, but he wasn't sure if it was from the kiss or not. If only Wes hadn't ruined that other moment; he could have kissed Kurt for real and then would've known whether Kurt liked him or not.

But for now, all he was able to do was put on some Katy Perry and sing out loud about how Kurt was his teenage dream, while he made his way back to Dalton.

Later that day, well after midnight, the two boys were still chatting on skype; both lying on their respective beds with their laptops next to them. Blaine's friends had barged in earlier and had questioned Kurt about his first kiss, that happened to have been with a cheerleader.

After some hesitation he had told them the full back-story about playing straight to get attention from his father and actually getting a girlfriend from it. The boys had been angry at Burt for the way he had neglected his son, but were glad he was now so accepting of Kurt. Also, they had mounts of respect for him for having his first kiss with a cheerleader.

The whole conversation was pretty overwhelming for Kurt. He was just not used to getting genuine interest from guys. That was the precise reason why he liked Blaine's friends so much, despite the fact that he had never met any of them in real life. They were all just so kind to him and listened more to what he had to say than any guy in his Glee club did, including his own (step)brother. He secretly wished he had such make friends at McKinley.

Around ten o'clock, Blaine started to usher all the blazer-clad boys out of his room but the last ones -Wes and David- didn't leave until eleven. Blaine's roommate was still there of course, but he had given them their privacy by watching a movie on his own laptop with headphones on.

Blaine had meant to say goodbye to Kurt short after the other boys had departed, because he had to get up early the next morning. But a half hour later they were still talking.

They were laughing over something stupid Finn had done, when Kurt mentioned how shamelessly he and Rachel had made out in front of the entire Glee club and their teacher. It instantly reminded Blaine of earlier that day.

"Hey Kurt, about that kiss you gave me..."

Kurt gasped softly and turned pale. Blaine obviously hadn't liked it. He probably thought it was inappropriate, but knowing him he was too polite to say something right there. He had to make up an excuse to save their friendship because he absolutely couldn't lose Blaine as a friend.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know why I did it. I greet the Glee girls like that all the time. You know, I told you. I guess it was a force of habit because I'm so comfortable around you. I won't do it again if you don't want me to."

Disappointment washed over Blaine as he heard the words that confirmed his former suspicions; though he didn't try to show any of it. Kurt didn't see him any different from his other friends and didn't reciprocate his own feelings. He sighed with a straight face and forced a smile on himself.

"It's okay. I didn't mind at all, I was just curious. We're really good friends and very comfortable around each other. It should be able to happen, right?"

Kurt just nodded and let out a faint laugh. For the first time since they'd met, an awkward silence erupted between them. Neither was looking at the other for a moment, but then it was Blaine who first spoke.

"I...ehm...I should go. Got a history test in the morning and stuff...I...eh...yeah."

"Oh...okay," Kurt pouted sadly. "Are...do...will...ehm. Tomorrow here again?"

"Of course," Blaine smiled, this time sincerely. "Text me when you can come online?"

"Will do."

Both boys cheered in their head that their budding friendship was still very much alive and said their goodbyes. Kurt was about to click the screen away when Blaine called out for him.

"Kurt wait!"

He looked up and saw how Blaine pressed his fingers against his lips and blew him a kiss. Kurt was stunned for a second, eyes popped out wide open. His mouth was about to do the same. But he managed to get a grip on himself and repeated the gesture to Blaine, who pretended to catch the kiss.

"Dork," Kurt muttered amused and logged off.

**-oOo-**

On Saturday, Mercedes and Kurt showed up at the Berry-Anderson residence early in the afternoon. Blaine wasn't there as he'd promised David to have extra practice for their upcoming soccer match, so that gave Rachel and Mercedes the perfect chance to hear Kurt out about his crush.

They knew he and Blaine spoke to each other online and texted. They were only unaware of the part where it happened daily. They also knew about Kurt and Blaine going out for coffee together, but Kurt had purposely left them in the dark about the shopping-trip that ended with that kiss. What he hadn't told them either was that since then, he and Blaine ended every single daily Skype chat by blowing kisses to each other and pretended to catch the other's kiss. The girls would have a field day if he did so.

But he absolutely couldn't deny to these girls how much he had fallen for Blaine. They just knew and for the first time Kurt admitted out loud that he was in love with Blaine Berry-Anderson.

"Kurt, that is so great," Mercedes squealed. "I'm so happy for you."

"Yes, hopefully we'll become brother and sister-in-law now," Rachel cried out as she excitedly clapped her hands.

"Rach, we're going to be that anyway because at the rate you and Finn are going, you'll get married once you're out of high school."

"That's true. However, you and Finn are only stepbrothers, whereas Blaine is my biological twin. You being with my brother would actually make it more official."

"Whatever you say, Rach. It's not going to happen. Blaine doesn't think of me more than a close friend. I'm like Wes and David, but gay,"

He told them about the kiss-conversation he and Blaine had, skilfully managing to leave out the part where he had kissed Blaine. "He said clearly we're just friends - great friends. But from the way he was taking, I know he doesn't see me as more than that."

He pouted and let himself fall against Mercedes, who laid an arm around him.

"This sucks 'Cedes," he whispered.

"I know. I've kind of been there with you remember."

They laughed together but Rachel sat confused next to them, pondering over her brother's behaviour and actions from the moment he and Kurt met.

"I don't get it," she said. "I know my brother. He likes you. He's in love with you even. I can see it so obvious in him."

"Yeah, he also said you often see things for more than they are. I quote 'trait of a true drama queen'."

"I resent that," Rachel huffed. Kurt and Mercedes just gave each other a look, knowing very well Blaine was right, and ignored Rachel's complaints against her brother. Kurt eventually hushed her and questioned Mercedes about her prospering relationship with Sam (Thanks to Blaine suddenly being a part of Kurt's life, Sam had become a neglected topic). Mercedes had lot to tell so the first movie of their two-day Julie Andrews marathon did not go into the DVD-player for an hour or so.

Victor/Victoria and Star! had already passed and they were in the middle of the first Princess Diaries movie, when Blaine came home. He was exhausted, sweaty and smelly, but Kurt's first thought was 'superhot'. He greeted them all in general and went up to his room

Around fifteen minutes later, he returned after a refreshing shower. His hair was gel-free and curly again; the way Kurt loved it the most. It was cuter this way and much easier to play with. He wore a black, tight tanktop, exposing his muscled chest and arms, and a simple pair of grey sweatpants. He kissed Rachel on her forehead, Mercedes on the back of her hand like the first time they'd met, and gave Kurt the sweetest and cutest smile he possessed as they hugged. Kurt felt a little dejected that it was much more platonic than their usual playfulness online, but then again his friends were in the room too. He didn't need them to see too much, or he wouldn't hear the end of it.

Blaine however, right now completely captivated by the unearthly beautiful human being named Kurt Hummel, motioned to Kurt to follow him and casually walked off to the kitchen. Kurt entered shortly after him and the slightly taller boy didn't hesitate a second when Blaine held his arms open for him, inviting him for some cuddling.

"I missed you," Blaine sighed as he nuzzled his nose into Kurt's soft hair and wrapped his arms around him. "I know we spoke last night, but having you with me in real life is so much better."

Kurt hummed in agreement. He let Blaine hold him for a while, took the opportunity to enjoy the strong arms around him and took deep whiffs of the delicious smell of Blaine's shower gel. After a few minutes they released each other and Kurt let Blaine guide him to the kitchen-island and gladly accepted the drink he offered him.

They quietly sat next to each other, now and then taking a sip from their glass; stealing glances and smiles while letting their hands play with each other.

"Kurt! Bring your butt back in here!" Rachel yelled from afar, pulling the boys from the dream world they always drift to when alone.

"The queen calls," Kurt grunted and grabbed his glass to head off to the living room again.

"Wait!" Blaine cried, hastily snatching his own glass of the counter with one hand and grabbing Kurt's arm with the other. Kurt nearly spilled the drink he was holding.

"Does our agreement still stand? I join you guys and you sit with me. I'd...ehm...I'd really like that right now. Rough training, you know."

"No need for excuses," Kurt chuckled amused as he flicked one of Blaine's curls into place. "You know it still stands."

Blaine let out a relieved sigh, as Kurt stepped forward to kiss him on his cheek; longer and more secure than the first time he'd done it. Blaine just wanted to wrap him in his arms and keep him close forever, but Kurt had let go already and was tugging him along to the living room. The girls gave him teasing grins at the sight of them holding hands, but they were vastly ignored.

This time around, Blaine nestled himself in Kurt's arms and laid his head on Kurt's shoulder. It kind of surprised him how muscled Kurt's arms were; they seemed thinner in most of the outfits he'd seen Kurt wearing.

Blaine tried hard to focus on the movie, but his body was screaming for rest. He had a hard time keeping his eyes open and a yawn left his mouth every few minutes. There was no way he could deny that David's brutal training had left him exhausted.

"Blaine?" the whisper was soft but just loud enough for Blaine to hear Kurt calling him. He saw Kurt gesturing to his lap and noticed he had placed a pillow there.

"Take a nap. It's okay," his crush mouthed. Blaine smiled, praising himself for falling in love with someone who could care so much. As soon as his head touched the pillow, a hand buried itself in his curls and played with them.

"Wake me up before The Sound of Music?" he yawned and after a reassuring nod from Kurt, Blaine drifted into a light sleep, dreaming about an alternative universe where he and Kurt were dating and Kurt played with his hair every day.

As promised, Kurt woke him up at the same time Rachel got up from the couch to set up the DVD from the sound of music. Mercedes and Kurt went to kitchen to fill the bowls of snacks and get more drinks for everyone, while Blaine dug out some blankets.

"You could just turn up the heat, you know," Rachel smirked, as she watched her brother amused on her way to the kitchen.

"I'm not going to turn up the heat just because it's me who's cold. That's selfish," Blaine answered innocently. He threw the blankets on the part of the couch he and Kurt were sharing and followed her

"Please Blaine, you're not slick." Rachel said. With a roll of her eyes, she gave him a little push.

"I have no clue what you're insinuating, please explain."

"Ugh! You're so frustrating!"

Blaine laughed as Rachel flipped him off and followed her into the kitchen, only to take the bowl of sweet popcorn in one hand and Kurt's hand in the other and leave again so the two of them could curl up together under one of the blankets.

Rachel started up the movie and threw some pointed glares at her brother for doing exactly what she thought he would, but he only gave her a mocking grin back and ignored her.

"I don't know what is going on between you and Rachel, but stop teasing her," Kurt whispered. This time around he was the one resting on the other.

"I'm not," Blaine pouted.

"Yes, you are. Now stop or else I'm going to share a blanket with her."

"No!"

He didn't mean to, but it came out as a yell. The girls angrily shushed him for talking through the movie, even though it just started and pretty much didn't miss a thing.

He apologized quickly and turned back to Kurt, who was now adorably giggling into his shoulder. He tried to play angry at him, but the way Kurt looked up to him with dreamy eyes made him weak from head to toe.

Kurt winked at him and slipped his hand into Blaine's under the blankets. They both knew very well he wouldn't share a blanket with anybody when he could share it with Blaine.

They sang along with every song in the movie and continued to stay in their little bubble when Rachel put Mary Poppins on and pizzas were ordered. They spent their time feeding slices to each other, whispering softly in the other's ear, nuzzling necks, cuddling... The entire night they didn't move a single inch from each other. One could easily mistake them for a couple madly in love.

They were very much in love; only for now they were under the impression that they were just being highly comfortable with the one person with whom they could completely be themselves.


	7. Chapter 7

A month of daily Skype chats, frequent coffee dates and hours of being close during sleepovers passed. Blaine and Kurt grew closer each day and they certainly fell a bit more for the other every single day.

One Wednesday, they met for coffee again and afterwards, instead of visiting the mall like they usually did after having a drink, Blaine took Kurt to Dalton to -finally- meet his friends in real life.

It took all of them about ten seconds to see how in love these two were and couldn't believe the boys were so friendzoned into obliviousness. Though they certainly wanted to, Trent had warned everyone not to say a thing.

Kurt loved Dalton Academy. Not only were the school and dorms simply majestic looking, the boys here seemed to be from an entire different species than the ones from McKinley. Every single guy Blaine introduced him to was polite and eloquent, but didn't look down on him for attending a public school. What stood out to him the most, was that not one guy flinched away or acted awkwardly when he came close. Though guys in his Glee club had stopped doing that over time, the rest of the male population at McKinley still thought that being gay was a transmittable disease.

Not only did the Dalton boys not flinch away from him, they actually approached him; showing genuine interest in him. For once he felt like he was just one of the guys and it felt better than he'd expected.

Blaine had to do something real quick for a teacher, so he took Kurt to the junior common room and left him in Wes and David's care, praying they didn't tell him anything about his feelings for the boy. He had no worry though. Since they were both in the Dalton soccer squad with Blaine, they tried to explain the game to him. They even invited him to come watch a match, even though it was more to get Kurt to come watch Blaine play and become hot for their striker rather than to watch the actual game.

Kurt, of course, accepted their offer. Who wouldn't voluntarily choose to see Blaine in a soccer outfit, sweating as he chased a ball? He imagined Blaine would score a goal and point proudly to Kurt while he celebrated with a team mate – something Finn, Mike and Sam always did with their respective girlfriends.

"Hey," Jeff said, as he and Nick joined the three of them. "Blaine told us you were in the New Directions. We don't want to snoop into our rivals ("yes we do," Nick muttered) but we were just curious about your voice because your speaking voice is pretty high...no offence."

"None taken," Kurt replied. "I'm a countertenor. At least that is what Blaine's sister told me."

Wes whistled and David and Nick whispered excitedly to each other.

"Something wrong?" Kurt asked, frowning concerned.

"No, no, no," Jeff laughed. "It's just that we don't have any countertenors in the Warblers right now and they don't exactly walk in with the dozens either. We could do some interesting arrangements with a countertenor."

"Yes," David agreed. "Someone like you could give us so much variety. I bet your Glee club exploits you like crazy."

"As if," Kurt huffed. "Technically we don't have a lead, but Rachel usually is. And if she isn't, she'll complain till nobody can take it anymore. She's one of my best friends and I don't want to talk her down, but she can be a bit much. She's such a good singer though."

"I'm glad we got the civil Anderson then," Wes chuckled. "Blaine always offers a pass on a lead but he's the best we've got. Talent runs in their family, I guess."

"It most certainly does," Kurt sighed.

Suddenly a body flopped itself on the couch right next to him. Kurt barely had anytime to register what was happening but an arm wrapped itself around his shoulder and he just knew this wasn't Blaine.

"I bet you are more talented than Anderson could ever be."

He took in the boy next to him. He was tall; taller than Blaine for sure. Probably even taller then he himself. He was handsome, Kurt wouldn't deny that but there was just something about this guy that put him off. Maybe it was the cocky smirk or the conceited attitude he transmitted. Kurt didn't need much to tell that this guy was full of himself.

"And you are?" he asked, with one eyebrow raised, picking up the arm that was draped around him and removed it.

"Sebastian. Sebastian Smythe," The boy answered, still smirking. He now laid his hands on Kurt's crossed legs and didn't blink an eye when Kurt smacked it away with an annoyed and uncomfortable look.

"Kurt, is it? I've heard your name going around for a while now. So I came to see what the hype is. What's up beautiful?"

"Thank you for the compliment, but I'd prefer it if you did not touch me," Kurt spat.

"Your wish is my command, sweetheart."

Kurt didn't like this cocky bastard one bit. Right now he wanted to leave –despite the fact that Blaine's actual friends were so kind - but he was in a strange area and Blaine had left him under the watch of David and the others.

"Sebastian..." Nick hissed on a warning tone. The others didn't look very pleased with the new addition to their conversation and it looked to Kurt like neither of the boys actually liked Sebastian. Even Trent was glaring from across the room and Kurt had yet to see him not smile. Sebastian wasn't the slightest bit intimidated by them and gave his fellow Warblers a daring glare.

"What? It's a free world and he isn't tied to Anderson. So there's no harm if I have a little chat with him." He now turned to Kurt. "I do like to get to know you a bit better. What do you say sweetheart? Wanna go and mingle a bit."

Kurt huffed furiously. He'd never been approached this disrespectfully and this guy didn't seem to regret it one bit. He was one step away from giving this guy a good smack across the face. But somebody tapped him on the shoulder and prevented him from doing so.

"Harassment policy, remember?" Trent, who'd come closer, whispered in his ear and realized that if he'd slap Sebastian on Dalton ground, he could get in serious problems and Blaine probably as well. So he acted as the better man and stood up, giving Sebastian a cold glare before turning his back on him.

"Hey, hold up sweety. You can't get rid of me that fast." Sebastian had barely spoken and spun him back around, when out of nowhere, a body materialized between them. Nobody had really seen where he'd come from, but Blaine was now standing in front of Kurt and tucked him protectively behind his back.

"Stay the hell away from him," he snarled furiously at Sebastian. The low, angry tone in his voice sent shivers through Kurt's body and it kind of scared him. He'd seen Blaine angry before, when they were talking about his pre-Dalton past. Blaine simply couldn't not get mad when talking about his bullies; Kurt couldn't either. But this was unlike any way Kurt had ever seen him. Kurt had no clue who Sebastian Smythe was, but whatever he had done sure as hell pissed Blaine off.

Sebastian no longer had that cocky smirk on him. At the sight of Blaine, his eyes transmitted an icy glare and his entire body turned into attacking mode. The other boys knew a lot more about the relationship between these boys, because Wes and David instantly move to Blaine's side, while Nick and Jeff moved to Sebastian's. Kurt expected it was more to protect Blaine from getting hit by Sebastian, rather than the other way around.

"You can't tell me what to do, Anderson. He's not your property," Sebastian hissed viciously.

"No, but he's one of my best friends, and I will do everything in my power to keep him out of the hands of dirty bastards like you."

Despite the state of angst he was in, Kurt's heart swelled a bit because of Blaine calling him one of his best friends.

"Try to stop me," Sebastian spat back and Blaine lunged forward. The others were very alert and managed to hold Blaine back before his fist could connect with Sebastian's cheek. They knew it would lead to his expulsion, so Wes and David practically dragged Blaine out of the junior commons. Kurt stood frozen in his spot as he watched how his friend turned into a completely different person. This was far from the Blaine he's gotten to know.

Suddenly a hand grabbed him gently by the arm. "Come on," Trent said softly as he pulled him along. "Blaine needs you before he breaks down."

Kurt didn't quite understand what he meant but followed anyway. As they left, he could see from the corner of his eye how Nick and Jeff pushed Sebastian out of another entrance and started shouting at him. Sebastian flipped them off and disappeared into a corridor.

"What a jerk," Kurt unconsciously muttered.

"He is one," Trent laughed. "A big one too. Hardly anyone can actually stand him, but he's a decent singer and a very good dancer; so we can't reject him from the Warblers."

They'd reached the hallway were Blaine, Wes and Nick were seated on a settee – Blaine absolutely fuming.

"Go on," Trent gave Kurt a light push forwards, urging him to talk to Blaine. Kurt hesitated for a moment and shuffled closer, before kneeling in front of his friend. "Blaine?"

Blaine heard his name; he was completely out of it but he heard his name in the only voice he could care about. The soft whisper was really close and came simultaneously with the hand that was placed on his knee. He looked up from the piece of floor that had his attention while Wes and David tried to reason with him. That gentle smile and the caring tone in those blue eyes he saw flipped a switch in his mind. There was just something about Kurt that drained all the anger from him. It was like being lost in a dark place and a bright light suddenly appearing to guide you out to safety.

"Blaine? Are you okay? Talk to me please?" He couldn't get words to pass his lips; still he nodded which seemed good enough for Kurt. A glass of water was passed on till it ended up with Kurt, who offered it to Blaine. He took a few big sips and put the half full glass next to him on the couch.

"I'm fine," Blaine croaked in a whisper. "I...ehm...yeah, I'm fine."

David stood up from the couch and motioned for Kurt to take his place. Kurt did and Blaine leaned towards him right away, resting his head on Kurt's shoulder.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that. I usually don't get so angry, but that asshole just get's to me every time."

"I don't judge you, you know that," Kurt whispered with a sad smile and laid and arm across his friend. The Warblers surrounding them watched the two boys slowly slipping into a place of their own; a place where anyone but the two of them was too much. So by exchanging looks, it was decided to leave them alone for now.

"Why don't you two go do something? Get coffee in the cafeteria. Some fresh air will do you good, Blaine," Jeff said to Blaine, while patting him on the shoulder.

Kurt nodded approvingly. "That would be nice. Want to go?"

Blaine thought it over and decided that having coffee with Kurt for the second time today was not bad at all. Besides, he knew for a fact that Sebastian had fencing training in half an hour and would be leaving for it pretty soon. He and Kurt could walk around with him exploding again.

"Okay, let's go," he said, standing up and tugging Kurt on his feet. They greeted the other boys and Kurt promised to drop by before leaving.

When they were out of sight and hearing range, Nick groaned and facepalmed himself a few times.

"How are they not dating? Are they the only ones who don't see how they are looking at each other? Blaine constantly complains about how Kurt only sees them as just friends but Kurt practically melts every time Blaine pays the littlest bit of attention to him."

"I agree with crazy pants over here," Jeff smiled. "Blaine's a big pile of obliviousness. Kurt's as well."

"Don't say anything to them though," Trent warned them again. "They need to figure things out on their own terms and pace."

The other Warblers muttered protests, but Trent wouldn't have any it. He ushered them back into the common room - silently laughing because of the dropping faces of his friends.

**-oOo-**

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kurt asked Blaine as they sat down in the cafeteria; both of them carried a cup of mocha in their hands.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It always takes a while for me to calm down after that bastard gets me angry. I hate it that he still gets to me so much as he does. I actually think he does these things on purpose, because he knows how angry I get. If it weren't for my friends I'd be expelled a long time ago."

Blaine bitterly took a sip from his drink. The liquid in the cup was hotter than he expected it to be though and it burnt his tongue a bit. He slammed the coffee cup down too fast and clumsy and ended up throwing the cup over. The hot content spilled rapidly over the table. He only just managed to jump up in time before the liquid could drip on his uniform.

He swore a whole lot more, making Kurt look up surprised. Who knew prep boy Blaine had such a sailor mouth. But it was so clear that Blaine's head was still messed up from the fight with Sebastian.

Several people were looking now how Blaine furiously tried to clean up the table; some shocked about the language coming out of the mouth of one of Dalton's politest students.

Unlike Blaine, Kurt noticed all the attention he was attracting and decided it was better for Blaine if he went somewhere quieter. He took a few tissues out of Blaine's hand and helped him clean the table, before grabbing Blaine and his own coffee. They were right outside of the cafeteria when he pulled his friend into a tight, soothing hug. Blaine welcomed it and buried his face in the crook of Kurt's neck while breathing heavily.

"Let's take a walk. We can share my coffee, if you like."

Blaine only nodded and took a sip from the cup Kurt held out to him.

"So, are you going to tell me why Sebastian makes you mad?" Kurt asked as they sauntered through the halls of Dalton's main building. They weren't exactly holding hands, but some of their fingers were hooked around each other and they were continuously passing the coffee between their free hands.

"Bad history," Blaine answered in a low grunt. "He hurt me bad and never apologized. Never showed an ounce of regrets. And he loves to rub his lack of regrets in my face whenever he can."

"But what did he do?"

"Ask Rachel."

"But-"

"Please Kurt," Blaine begged, giving the taller boy a pleading look. "I can't talk about him without snapping. When I told it all to Rachel, I broke a music box she got on our fifth birthday, out of anger. I'd rather not break anything in here. But you should ask Rachel. She knows everything. Tell her I said it's okay by me."

"I definitely will," Kurt hummed in agreement. He was very curious and thus a bit disappointed Blaine wouldn't tell him now, but he respected and liked Blaine way too much to press the matter further. Besides, Blaine seemed to be very thankful for it, and that was more important to him.

"So, what did you think about my friends?" Blaine asked in attempt to smoothly shift from topic. It worked, because a spark of joy lit up in Kurt's eyes.

"They're lovely. Really. They're so different from the boys in my Glee club. In a good way. I like them a lot and I get completely why you're friends with them. I'd want them to be my friends too if I went here. You're lucky."

"I like to think that too," Blaine smiled; because he was. He had the best friends in the world.

"Only that one guy was a bit weird...uhm, Nick, I think."

"What about Nick?

"I don't know. He said some stuff about us and some ship. And that ship having a cannon or being a cannon. It didn't make much sense."

Blaine blushed furiously. "That's normal with Nick. We try to ignore it really." He made a mental note to yell at Nick for saying those things to Kurt; he knew Kurt was just a friend.

It was forgotten right away, and the two chatted away like they did every day. The rain of compliments Kurt had for Blaine's friends didn't seem to stop, but it abruptly did.

"I'd wish you'd introduced me to Trent earlier. He knows his designers. It was so fulfilling to talk to someone who really does and-"

Kurt's voice stuck into nothing, making Blaine look up to him in surprise. "Kurt, what's wrong?"

But Kurt didn't hear him, as his eyes were following a very handsome guy, who walked past them and smiled charmingly at Kurt the entire time.

"Oh my god," Kurt breathed, turning red; his mouth was wide of astonishment. "Did you see that?"

"What?"

"That guy was totally checking me out. Like really checking me out; not the crap Sebastian pulled. That never happened to me before. It happened to pretty much all of my friends but never me. And now it has! And such a cute guy too! Oh my God!"

A big pang of jealousy shot through Blaine when Kurt looked back at guy who, Blaine knew, was a senior. He was jealous because Kurt had never reacted like that about him, and he wanted Kurt to so bad. With a deep grunt, he followed Kurt's adoring glance and found the guy staring back at them, smiling flirtatiously and waving at Kurt in a coyly matter. In an impulsive moment, he full on grabbed Kurt's hand and tugged the taller boy after him.

"Whoa Blaine, not so fast," Kurt panted. Blaine practically dragged him to the corridors and he had to run to keep up. They finally came to a halt before and empty classroom. Well, it was a room but the piano in the room reminded Kurt of the choir room at McKinley.

"This is where the Warblers always come together; either to practise or for meetings," Blaine confirmed. "Since we're an a cappella choir, we don't need a lot of instruments. Even the piano's more for the show."

"That's nice. But what is up with you, Blaine? I'm really worried about you right now."

Their eyes locked. Kurt's made Blaine feel guilty, because he really saw the worry, and Blaine's made Kurt sombre, because Blaine was clearly broken.

"I don't know. I really don't know," Blaine admitted, dropping his head and letting out a sob. "When Sebastian messes with my head, he does it good."

_So this is what Trent meant with Blaine breaking down_, Kurt thought. Blaine always looked so confident and composed to him; it was a bit shocking to see him so vulnerable in a situation in which they weren't talking about his past.

"C'mere." He motioned for Blaine to come closer and place his hands on each side of Blaine's face. With gentle strokes he wiped away the few tears rolling down Blaine's cheeks and kissed the shorter boy softly on his forehead. He couldn't help but savour the way Blaine leaned into his touch.

"You said the other day that classic music calms you down, right?"

"Yes why?"

Kurt led Blaine to the grand piano in the room and sat him down on the bench; Kurt scooted beside him. He trailed his fingers over the keys a few times before he finally started to play a song, which sounded very familiar to Blaine but he couldn't remember the title.

He stared admiringly at Kurt's fingers. He simply loved the way they graciously danced over the keys. Kurt's remedy worked though, because the soothing music slowly edged him towards serenity. It was exactly what he needed.

"Thank you so much. That was wonderful," he praised when Kurt finished the song. Kurt dramatically bowed and pretended to receive roses. He didn't need to fake getting a loud applause, because that he got from Blaine, who was very amused by his act.

"What's the name of that song? I've heard it before, but forgot what it's called."

"Comptine d'une autre été: L ápres midi by Yann Tiersen. A personal favourite. It's from the movie Amelié Poulain. Also a personal favourite."

A giggle escaped from Blaine's mouth and it made Kurt look up to him in surprise. Who knew Blaine could make such a noise.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Blaine, what's up?"

"Nothing! Really! It's just..."

"Yes?" Kurt whined impatiently.

"I like it when you speak French. You sound so genteel."

Kurt stared at his friend completely shocked and baffled.

"Merci beaucoup," he managed to mutter, not taking his eyes of Blaine.

"De rien," Blaine answered with a slight smirk. Kurt nudged him with his elbow and they broke out in laughter.

"I meant what I said to Sebastian. You are one of my best friends. I care about you so much and I won't let anybody hurt you. Especially not guys like Sebastian."

Kurt didn't know how to feel about this statement. He was happy of course; he also saw Blaine as one of his best friends. Over the pretty short period of time since they'd met, they had found a unique connection between them. Their friendship was unlike the ones he had with Rachel, Mercedes and Tina, but not any less; more special even. But it was a blow nonetheless that Blaine still saw him as nothing more than that.

Blaine clasping his hand over his own, which was resting on his lap, made him aware of their environment again, so he composed himself and offered Blaine a forced but well-meant smiled.

"I know you won't because you always make me feel safe."

That reply triggered the brightest smile ever to appear on Blaine's face. He leaned over and placed the sweetest kiss on Kurt's cheek. Kurt felt tingly all over.

"Do you always kiss your best friends?"

"Only the ones who go out of their way to make sure I feel better. David gets kisses all the time."

Kurt burst out into loud laughter, throwing his head back with closed eyes in the process. To Blaine, Kurt had never looked more beautiful as when he laughed. Not to mention that his laugh was one of the cutest things he'd ever heard.

He took the opportunity to cast Kurt a very smitten look and pulled a straight face right when Kurt's laughter faded, only to exchanges smiles with him right after.

"Will you play something else for me, please?"

"Only if you play something for me too. Rachel said you're quite good with pianos."

"Deal." Blaine gave Kurt's hand a little squeeze.

Kurt played him another one of his favourites – a piano cover of Adele's Someone Like You. Blaine then played him a cover of Beyonce's Halo and a favourite of his own, Canon In D by Pachelbel; a song Kurt instantly fell in love with.

"Can you teach me how to play it sometimes?" Kurt asked as soon as Blaine finished the final note.

"I'd love to," Blaine answered and scooted closer. This made them both smile nervously, but it didn't stop Blaine from wrapping an arm around Kurt's waist and laying his head on his shoulder. His nervous smile turned into a content one once he felt Kurt leaning his head against his own.

"Can you stay a bit longer? I don't want you to go yet."

Kurt's heart fluttered at the request. Of course he wanted to.

"Need protection from evil Sebastian?" he joked.

"No," Blaine chuckled. "He needs protection from me. His face still has a pending date with my fist."

"None of that today, mister. And from now on Sebastian is taboo. You get upset when you talk about him and I don't like that."

"I like the taboo part."

"And I'd love to stay longer."

They smiled rather lovingly at each other and proceeded with a casual conversation. On their laps, their hands were entwining.

* * *

><p><strong>I have a post with all the songs so you can listen for yourself how they should sound. You can find them under music: <strong>areweallforgotten()tumblr()com/lovestruck


	8. Chapter 8

Shortly after their conversation in the Warbler choir room, two other Warblers had come in, claiming they needed the piano for practise. So Blaine took Kurt on a tour through Dalton Academy. He showed him everything from the main building, to the sports fields, a special hall where several indoor extracurricular activities were held - purposely avoiding the fencing hall where Sebastian was supposed to be - and the ballroom, which impressed Kurt the most. Afterwards, Blaine brought him back to the dorms.

All the while, their hands were and stayed entwined and that hadn't changed when they stepped back into the junior common room. Nick was the first one to notice their hands and let out a loud, surprised gasp; rousing all the other boys to focus on the two and now more boys got hopeful glances. Blaine frowned and shook his head at Nick, and he and at least half of the common room let out a frustrated groan.

They'd sat down on the couch together, practically attached to the hip, and mingled with Blaine's friends. Later on, all of them including Kurt went to have dinner in the cafeteria and afterwards, Blaine took Kurt to his dorm room. Initially, it was just to show it to him and play him some guitar; somehow they ended up lying on Blaine's bed. Facing each other, covered in smiles, they softly talked about the day they had before their meeting and also all the piano and guitar pieces that had occurred. Considering the fact that they literally spoke to each other every day, they needn't discuss anything that happened in past days. Unfortunately, every day came to an end and so did this one. They couldn't avoid saying goodbye much longer.

Blaine walked Kurt back to his car, after Kurt had greeted all the other Warblers and told them how much he had loved meeting all of them. He was still holding hands with the slightly taller boy and clearly didn't want him to go. Judging the look on Kurt's face, he didn't want to leave either.

Right now, Kurt would give anything to stay with Blaine, to cuddle with him till deep in the night. But he promised his father to be home by 9.45pm. Burt already showed that he trusted him by allowing him to stay longer. He didn't want to betray that trust by coming home too late. The fact that his father thought that he was currently at Mercedes' should be overlooked in that trust matter.

"I loved having you here," Blaine smiled when they reached the parking lot, "We should do this soon again."

"I'd love that a lot," Kurt replied as he slightly swayed their laced hands back and forth. He already saw his Navigator and was bumped they had reached it so soon.

"Will I see you at my house again this Friday?" Blaine asked hopefully.

"Sadly, no. Mercedes' mom kept asking her why we always go to your or my house, so she begged us to have the sleepover at her house for a change."

Kurt wasn't mad at Mercedes or her mother. He knew both girls rather have the sleepovers at Rachel's so he could bond with Blaine, but it was only fair they went to Mercedes too. Besides, he'd been there many times before; it was never dull at the Jones'.

"Oh...yeah, uhm...I understand," Blaine sighed rejected. "I'm sorry...I...I just...really like to hang out...with you."

"Don't apologize," Kurt reasoned. "We can go for coffee again next week."

"Of course."

"And after that, I'd like you to come home with me and meet my parents. If you want to that is."

"Eh, sure," Blaine answered completely baffled.

"It's just...my dad cares so much about me and he's noticed that I'm a whole lot more lively lately; more good-spirited or something and genuinely happier. And he asked me if it was because of you. You know my brother told them about you and I explained to them who you are and how I've been able to talk to you about things I couldn't with anybody else.

"Anyway, I've told my parents how talking to you made me feel better about myself and I've been a lot more positive about a lot of things since I've met you. They're just very happy about that and now they'd like to meet you."

"Oh, well in that case, I'd be glad to meet them."

The uttermost charming smile coming from Blaine made Kurt's knees tremble a bit. The way his body still seemed to malfunction every time Blaine made such gestures started to get rather annoying. Yet that feeling of being in love was becoming hauntingly addictive.

"Also," Blaine continued. "I'm super flattered that I've been able to mean so much to you and I want you to know that you helped me just as much. I definitely feel so much better ever since we've started to hang out. My dads said so. Rachel, my friends..." He took Kurt's other hand too and held gently on to both. "You're really wonderful, Kurt."

Kurt let out a small, soft, emotional sob and saw that Blaine's honey coloured eyes were tearing up, much like his own.

"We really are best friends, huh?" he giggled, making Blaine laugh a little as well.

"Yes, we totally are."

From one moment to other, they were in each other's arms, hugging and clutching the other tightly. Somehow, they both just really needed it.

Blaine deeply sighed into Kurt's shoulder before slowly pulling away from him. His heart leaped a bit when his eyes met Kurt's and then drifted lower to those luscious pink lips. Everything in him wanted to kiss them so badly. But they had _just_refined the friendship stamp hovering over them.

Of course friends could fall in love with each other but he still doubted Kurt felt anything beyond that friendship level. Just the way Kurt talked about him said more mentor slash best friend, rather than potential boyfriend material.

"What are you thinking about?" Kurt whispered as he properly straightened the lapel of Blaine's blazer.

"Huh?"

"What are you thinking about?" Kurt repeated. "It looks like you've got a lot on your mind."

"Oh," Blaine simply sighed. "It's nothing really. I'm just very grateful to have you as a friend."

"Oh okay," Kurt said, hoping Blaine didn't catch the tone of disappointment in his voice. In his head he'd pictured this scenario in which Blaine declared he was in love with his new best friend, because he was so sure Blaine had been staring at his lips again; much like last week when they were at the mall.

"Something wrong?" Blaine asked, reversing the role of the concerned one. He laid a hand on Kurt's shoulder.

"Nothing," Kurt squeaked. "I'm fine."

Blaine didn't quite believe him but he let it go for now. He didn't drop the hand that still rested on Kurt's shoulder. On the contrary, he moved it up till it gently cupped Kurt's cheek. Something in him wanted to tell Kurt the truth about his feelings right now. It just felt so right; especially after Kurt ran his own hand over Blaine's arm and stopped to close it over his wrist to make sure Blaine's hand stayed a bit longer there. He stepped a bit closer and wrapped his free hand around Kurt's waist.

"Blaine..." Kurt whimpered with a trembling voice.

"Kurt...I...ehm..."Blaine started softly. He hovered a little towards Kurt. The plan now was just to go with a kiss and see where it would take them from there.

"Hey Blaine!" A voice very familiar to Blaine yelled across the parking lot. No, not now. Any time but now, he thought. He and Kurt both looked up at the same time, and saw a guy from their age, in the same Dalton outfit as Blaine's, waving from afar.

"We have extra soccer practise after Warbler practise tomorrow to prepare for our next match. Can you pass it on to David and the others? I have an AV club meeting right now so I can't do it myself."

"Sure El," Blaine grunted annoyed while sticking his thumb up to the boy.

"Thanks bro," the boy yelled back and ran off after waving again.

"That's my roommate, Elliot," Blaine explained to Kurt with a grimace. "He has the worst timing a person could have. Lord knows how many times he walked into people having a private moment. He's a nice guy though. You should meet him next time you come here."

"That'd be nice, Blaine. But you were trying to tell me something before he interrupted," Kurt said with a smirk. The whole Elliot thing rather amused him, to be honest, but he was so curious to what Blaine had to say.

"Yes, I..."

Before Blaine even could form a proper sentence, the big clock tower in front of the main building started gonging, announcing it was 8pm.

"Oh damn, I need to go," Kurt cried out. "If I don't leave now, I won't make it back in time for my curfew and my dad won't let me go anywhere for a week."

"Oh," Blaine sighed saddened and Kurt caught it.

"I'm so sorry Blaine. I really wish I could stay longer. Can't you tell me later over Skype or phone later?"

Blaine shook his head and let Kurt go – he was still holding on to Kurt's slim waist. "I'd really rather tell you in person. Maybe next week over coffee? They both settled for it and gave each other a quick peck on the cheek before Kurt hopped into his Navigator and sped off the premises.

Blaine sadly watched how the love of his life left and concluded that Kurt never actually would be the love of his life, because the little bit of courage he had, just left with him.

All angry with his cowardly self, Elliot's horrible timing and Kurt's curfew, Blaine sauntered back to the junior commons. All of his friends were there and their endless chatting sure would distract his mind from the love misery he was in.

When he entered the room, several voices greeted him. He ignored them and just let himself fall on the couch; on the same spot where he, on one point earlier, had sat with Kurt in his lap. His heart beat faster just at the thought of it.

The spot next to him dipped in by the weight of someone; we he looked, he saw Trent smiling at him.

"He's adorable, Blaine," Trent said softly as he patted Blaine on the shoulder. "I totally get what you see in him."

Blaine shot him a look that was a mix of fear – what if Trent wanted Kurt too, like Sebastian had – and viciousness – _I saw Kurt first, don't make me rip your head off_. Trent right away held his hands up in defence.

"I don't like him like that. I have a boyfriend remember. Plus, Kurt isn't my type. I'm just saying that I get why you're into him. He's a good mix of hot, cute, sweet and endearing and that sharp tongue of him is hilarious. You couldn't have fallen in love with anyone more perfect for you. You deserve someone like him."

"I'm sorry and thank you. He really is perfect, isn't he? But I'm still not sure he loves me back."

Nick and Jeff, who'd joined them together with Wes and David, were starting to shout at him for being absolutely insane; one glare from Trent made them quiver away. Blaine chuckled and then moved so he could place his head on David's shoulder.

"It's nice that you guys think otherwise, but when we were in the main building earlier, Donovan, that guy who leads the yearbook committee, was flirting with Kurt and he was so crazy about it. He kept gushing about how cute Donovan was. He wouldn't have done that if he was in love with me, would he?"

"To be honest," Trent stated. "If I was constantly in an environment where not a single guy showed an inch of interest in me, I'd be all flustered too if some good looking guy checked me out. I guess he was so excited that he forgot you were there."

"That really makes me feel better, Trent," Blaine grunted sarcastically.

"What Trent tries to say is, it's the first time he experienced that. You never blatantly checked him out, so it's different with you. It was just overwhelming for him."

"But I was right there," Blaine whaled. "He wouldn't have done that if he liked me back."

"Or maybe he does, but you've never clearly hinted you're in love with him," David replied. "Maybe you're not getting his signs and he's just like you too scared to just come forward with his feelings. If that flirting happened more often to him, he'd have ignored it. But it was his first time..."

All the boys nodded and Blaine kind of got where they were coming from. It didn't mean that it hurt or sucked any less. There were a lot of days in which he wished he was more like Donovan, to just bluntly let a guy know that he liked him.

"I almost let Kurt know," he said softly. "That I'm in love with him I mean."

All the boys in the room gasped, which made Blaine chuckle a bit. Sometimes he forgot how many guys were interested in his soap opera life.

"I was going to tell him. Then I couldn't and was just going to kiss him. I was that close."

"Well, why didn't you!" Nick all but yelled. "My ship, Blaine! My ship! What happened?"

"Cockblock Elliott happened." All the boys winced. "Then he saw the time and ran off so he would be home on time. He doesn't like betraying his father's trust. I promised him that I'd tell him when I see him again, but that moment was actually a rare moment of an insane amount of courage and it's all gone now."

All the Warblers looked at him in a mix of pity and care. They all knew how miserable Blaine was when he came to Dalton; scarred deeply from middle school. They'd witnessed firsthand how Sebastian fuelled that misery and then spent two years at Blaine's side, listening to him whining about being alone and wanting what he saw in romantic movies. They'd seen him crush on a few Dalton guys without success, and now the guy was really in love and they were all sure it was being reciprocated, and Blaine didn't have the guts to admit his true feelings.

"Ugh, I'm going to be alone forever," Blaine groaned, as he jumped up and dragged himself out of the common room.

"Where are you going?" Wes yelled after him.

"Bed!"

"But it isn't even 8.30pm yet!"

"Don't care!" Blaine stomped off, ignoring all the guys calling him back.

"Just let him be," David finally decided. "He's not going to sleep. He's either going to do his homework, stare at his picture of Kurt forever, or both. Just let him be for an hour or so. We'll drag him out later and force him to watch Doctor Who with us."

The rest of the boys agreed and went on with their business while Nick moped around about his real life ship.

**-oOo-**

The next morning in the crowding halls of McKinley High, Rachel tried to make her way through the sea of students. Lunch break had just started and she was trying to find at least one of her friends. It wasn't easy considering how small she was and she had to avoid football players with slushie cups at the same time. She had almost reached the cafeteria when a taller figure bumped into her.

"Kurt!" she cried when she saw who the other person was. "I was just looking for you and the others."

"And I was about to call you to ask you where you were," Kurt replied and flashed her his phone as prove.

"Aren't we going to the cafeteria?" Rachel asked confused. Kurt had started to pull her towards the school yard.

"No I have to ask you something private." He paused a few seconds before adding, "About Blaine."

That caught Rachel's attention and she willingly followed Kurt outside, after texting Finn she wouldn't meet him for lunch.

"Hey guys, wait up!" They could hear Mercedes call for them and waited 'till she caught up with them. "Where are you guys going?"

"Kurt wanted to ask me something private about Blaine."

"Oh," Mercedes said softly. "Do you want me to leave then? I wouldn't mind."

"Oh don't be ridiculous. Blaine knows who you are and he likes you. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you knew too." Rachel linked arms with the both of them and in an air of happy clattering; they walked to the school yard. They found an empty table pretty much immediately and as soon as they sat down, Rachel jumped right on the topic.

"So what's up with my dearest twin brother? If this is about him being in love with you: I'm still convinced he is, even though he denies it."

"No, no, no. It isn't about that," Kurt replied. He warily looked around before leaning closer to the girls and whispering, "It's about Sebastian."

Rachel's face dropped instantly while Mercedes showed confusion.

"How do you know about Sebastian?" Rachel hissed. She was clearly pissed off and it made Kurt even more curious to what the boy had done to Blaine.

"Ehm, Blaine told me about him," he lied.

"No he didn't," Rachel snapped back. "Blaine doesn't mention or talk about Sebastian."

"But-"

"Ever!"

"Wait! Who is this Sebastian you're talking about?" Mercedes came between the two. The confusion on her face was more evident than before.

"An asshole who took advantage of my brother and incredibly hurt him."

"What is it? Please tell me, Rach. Blaine won't but he said it was okay by him if I asked you," Kurt pleaded. Mercedes nodded in along now that her confusion had made place for curiosity. Rachel believed Kurt this time and braced herself to tell the story she'd rather not speak off.

"When Blaine went to Dalton as a freshman, Sebastian was a sophomore. He thought Blaine was hot, so he started hitting on him. Blaine just came from a highly homophobic area, so it was new and exciting for him to suddenly have a guy want him and he fell for Sebastian rather quickly. Sebastian apparently figured that out and took advantage of it. He lured Blaine in easily and they started dating.

"Blaine was so in love that he was willing to do anything for Sebastian, but was too blind to see that Sebastian didn't do anything in return. He and I even fought over Sebastian after I told him he was no good. Blaine told me I was jealous because he had a boyfriend and I didn't - it was before Finn and I dated the first time. But pretty soon in their relationship, approximately after two or three weeks, Sebastian wanted to go all the way and Blaine wasn't ready for that all. Sebastian broke up with him right there and then. No remorse, not a pinch of guilt and brother was left heartbroken."

"Oh wow," Kurt gasped, his face struck with pure shock. He'd never guess Blaine went through all of that.

"Poor Blaine," Mercedes whispered while disapprovingly shaking her head.

"The worst thing is," Rachel continued. "Is that a few days after the break up when Blaine went to ask for an explanation and said he thought Sebastian liked him back, Sebastian laughed right in his face and told him he just wanted to get in his pants but wasn't worth the effort. That he wasn't going to waste any of his time on some prude.

"That was already bad but then last year, when Blaine was a sophomore; he got a big crush on a guy who was a senior, Jeremiah. They went on a few dates but Sebastian interfered and stole Jeremiah right from under Blaine's nose. I think those two 'dated' until Jeremiah graduated and moved out of the state. Blaine was so hurt again, and fed up with Sebastian, that he literally fought with him. Not in school of course, he'd be expelled. But he fought him and packed a few good punches and ever since those two are ticking time bombs around each other."

Kurt stared silently at Rachel, letting her words sink in. He understood Blaine now and all the boy's actions from the day before fell into place. He felt relieved that Blaine had saved him from Sebastian. Not that he would've gone along with Sebastian after the way he had spoken to him, but knowing Blaine was so persistent on protecting him from guys like Sebastian made him fall for the boy even harder; he didn't think that was even possible.

"Kurt, the truth please. How do you know about Sebastian?" Rachel asked, sounding slightly concerned. Kurt understood exactly why. She was worried that Blaine had gotten in another altercation with Sebastian – which technically was true.

"I...ehm...he tried to hit on me."

"Who? Blaine?" Mercedes asked, again confused.

"No, Sebastian. I...I was at Dalton yesterday. And he tried to hit on me. Blaine came between us and he and Sebastian almost fought. They would've if it wasn't for Blaine's friends."

"You were at Dalton? Kurt, are you and Blaine dating?" Mercedes said with her usual sassy attitude. "Because if you are, I'm going to be so mad that you didn't tell us."

Rachel nodded along. "I'll kill my brother for not telling me either."

Kurt just looked at them as if they both were insane. "We're not dating. Please, did you think I'd be able to keep it from either of you if that was the case? He just wanted me to meet his friends and they wanted to meet me as well. You know I'm tutoring some of them in French. We just hung out all day." Then he added on a sad and droopy tone. "Absolutely nothing happened. I'm starting to give up hope really."

Both girls grabbed one of his hands and shared their thoughts of sympathy with him.

"How was Blaine though," Rachel asked after a while. Like no other she knew how Blaine could get when Sebastian got involved in anything.

"Raging," Kurt answered while recalling the previous day's events. "Flat out furious at first; then just angry and he ended shaken up and broken down. But we talked a lot. Like _a lot_. It helped and he seemed fine later."

Rachel faintly nodded. She was all too familiar with that situation. It was also an indication to how much her brother cared for Kurt. She knew Blaine did all he could to avoid Sebastian in school; afraid that he would explode and end up getting suspended or even expelled. Just the fact that he was willing to do that to protect Kurt...it wasn't just care; it was love. Now more than ever she was convinced that Blaine was in love with her best friend.

"Rach?"Kurt suddenly said, dragging her out of her thoughts. "I said I was going to try to call Blaine. If I'm correct he should have lunch now too. Are you coming or are you staying here with 'Cedes?"

"I'll stay here. Blaine and I have our weekly catch-up call tonight anyway. I'll interrogate him then."

Kurt left. As soon as he was out of sight, Rachel turned to Mercedes. "OhmyGodmybrotherissoinlovewithKurt."

"Wow lady, take a breath," Mercedes laughed, while Rachel bounced enthusiastically on her seat. "I thought they both said you saw it wrong?"

"They say so but Blaine's lying and Kurt has low confidence when it comes to my brother. It's frustrating to watch."

"Tell me about it," Mercedes sighed while rolling her eyes. "I swear, if those two get together, I'd be happier than when Sam asked me to be his girlfriend."

"I know," Rachel exclaimed as they picked up their belongings and strolled back to the school building. "I am more excited now than that time when Finn swore he was going to win me back from Jesse. I just...Kurt makes Blaine so happy. I see it in him when he's home. I hear it in his voice when we're on the phone and it's most evident when they are around each other. Same goes for Kurt."

"You can't help but to root for them," Mercedes finished.

Rachel nodded. "Just look at him 'Cedes," she said pointing to a spot across the yard where Kurt was leaning against a wall. "Look at that smile. Since the day I met him I've never seen him smiling that big or glowing that bright, and he only looks like that when he talks to Blaine."

Mercedes hummed in agreement and the two girls discussed the several changes about Kurt's life since Blaine walked into to it, until the bell rang and they were forced to separate for classes. Rachel walked into her History class to find Finn saving her a spot next to him. After she kissed him and started to explain where she had been, her phone beeped Blaine's text-ringtone.

**Blaine**

Thank you for telling Kurt about Mr. Asshole. He was so sweet and understanding about it. Didn't judge me one bit. Rach, why is he so perfect?

**Rachel**

You're welcome. You do realize you just confessed to having a crush on/being in love with him?

**Blaine**

I plead the fifth

**Rachel**

Like that makes it any less clear

**Blaine**

Does he like/have a crush on me or even in love with me?

**Rachel**

He pleads the fifth

**Blaine**

I hate you

**Rachel**

Love you too. Now pay attention in class!


	9. Chapter 9

As Kurt had mentioned before, the now standard weekly girls-and-Kurt sleepover didn't take place at Berry-Anderson's. The lack of Kurt at his house made Blaine look out to Wednesday more than ever. It was now a whole week since he had seen Kurt in person and his whole body was aching to hold the boy again. He was looking forward to their meeting so much, that he arrived at the Lima Bean fifteen minutes too early and ended up waiting in the parking lot for Kurt's iconic Navigator.

When it was about ten minutes past their meeting time, Blaine got slightly worried. Kurt was somebody who was always strictly and perfectly on time. It was just one of his noteworthy traits. He figured something must've slowed Kurt down in traffic. What were ten minutes really? But when the waiting time hit twenty minutes he got really concerned and by the time it was thirty minutes and Kurt's Navigator finally rolled onto the parking lot, he was an anxious wreck.

He only got more worried when Kurt got out of the car, looking severely down. The boy was obviously very mentally distracted, as he bumped into the first person to cross him. Kurt was so in his own world, that he didn't notice Blaine at all until Blaine called out to him.

Kurt's tear-streaked face popped up as soon as he registered who called him. He started running and didn't stop until his body collided with Blaine's, throwing his arms around Blaine's neck in the process. Blaine got a little bit of air knocked out of him during the impact, which also threw him back a bit, but he didn't hesitate one second to wrap his arms around Kurt's trembling frame.

"Kurt? What's wrong?" He tried to pull back a bit so he could see his friend's face, but Kurt wouldn't move an inch from where he was wrapped in Blaine's arms and even pressed in closer, burying his face in Blaine's neck.

"Kurt, please talk to me," Blaine said softly, while rubbing Kurt's back.

"The jocks," Kurt mumbled with a sob. He finally let Blaine go so he could talk easier and Blaine's heart broke at the sight of his red puffy eyes and dried tear trails.

"They lured me to my locker after gym class. One of them took my hairspray out of my bag earlier, so I thought I forgot or lost it. I went to my locker to get the spare I always keep there and they were waiting for me there. Seven of them, all with a slushy in their hands."

"Oh no," Blaine gasped horrified. He heard numerous stories about McKinley from Rachel and he knew exactly what they did with slushies there.

"Yeah," Kurt sniffed. "They threw them all on me. I was completely soaked. It was so painful and humiliating despite the fact that the hall was as good as empty. Worst thing is that they completely ruined my shirt."

"Kurt! You cannot possible put the state of your shirt above your personal wellbeing!" Blaine exclaimed. He took Kurt to a bench right outside of the café and pulled him close with his arms tightly coiled around Kurt's small waist.

"I usually wouldn't. It's just that I got this shirt from my dad for Christmas. It was gorgeous and the special thing is that he picked it out all by himself. He was so proud when he found out how much I loved it. You should've seen him glowing when he saw me wearing it this morning. It's just the fact that my dad put so much effort in something that interests me so much and that he did such an impeccable job at it, which made the shirt so special to me. And now it's ruined.

"I can't tell him. It'll disappoint and hurt him. Not to mention that he'll get so mad; which isn't good for his health. He'll probably lash out at Finn for not protecting me, while Finn couldn't possibly have known about the assault."

The distress of his father's health and the possible effects for his brother nudged Kurt over the edge and he started sobbing again before he went to full on crying.

"I've had enough, Blaine. I want it to stop."

Powerless; that was how Blaine felt. Completely and utterly powerless. He didn't know what to say or do besides holding him tighter. After all, the only way Blaine knew how to make these things to stop was by running to a place with zero tolerance on bullying.

"Maybe I should go back to playing straight," Kurt scoffed sarcastically, forcefully whipping the tears from his face. "Maybe I should just store all my eccentric clothing and accessories and get a girlfriend. Maybe laying low will keep those bullies off my back or at least on a normal Glee loser level until I graduate."

"Don't you dare!" Blaine scolded angrily. Kurt scurried away a little whilst looking at Blaine with big, scared doe-eyes. Blaine shrugged it off and took Kurt's hands in his, offering him a sympathetic and comforting smile.

"I know like no other that it horribly sucks. But in little over a year and a half you're out of here. It's no question we're going to New York. You're going to do great things there. You're going to achieve great things and you're going to be the next great thing.

"Those jocks…one or two of them are going to play college football out of state. Another few of them need to be lucky enough to get a scholarship to play for the Buckeyes. The rest of them are going to be stuck in this God-awful town forever. And one day, they're going to come home from their shitty job, crash on the couch and watch TV. They'll flip through the channels until they see the live broadcast of the Tony Awards and they'll see how you accept yours and prove how you'll forever be better than them."

Kurt smiled faintly, but instead of looking at Blaine, he looked at their combined hands. It left Blaine with the feeling that Kurt didn't really believe him. He was determined to do so. So he cupped Kurt's cheek and carefully shifted his face towards him and looked deep into Kurt's pale-blue coloured eyes.

"You know that I know what it's like to be in your position, so I'm not just saying things. And I know a year and a half is a long time, but you are going to leave and be fabulous in NYC. But if you're going to hide who you really are; if you are going to stop being yourself and stop with the things that make you Kurt, you'll never get there. Because then you're not you. You need to be you."

Kurt kept looking at him without making a single sound. Those eyes just only got wetter and finally those lips broke out in an honest grins.

"T-t-thank you," he whispered. "I guess I really needed to hear that."

"Well, it's true," Blaine said highly confident. "Besides running back into the closet isn't going to stop those guys. If you ever feel like you can't take it, come to me. I know you have your friends in your Glee club but Wes, David, Nick, Jeff and Trent all adore you. They're all there for you too. They've dealt with me and my problems, so they know quite well how to be there for you."

Blaine shifted his hand from where it was still cupping Kurt's cheek and used it to bring Kurt closer so he could press their foreheads together. "I'll _always_ be there for you."

He leaned in and kissed Kurt's cheek dangerously close to his lips but he wasn't going to go there, because Kurt needed a friend, not a lovestruck boy.

"Consider that a mutual promise," Kurt said with a muffled voice as he leaned in for a hug and buried his face in Blaine's shoulder. For a few minutes Kurt let Blaine hold him. Blaine on his turn was pleasantly surprised to see a hint of optimism in Kurt's eyes when they let go of each other. He brought his hand back up to the other boy's cheek and brushed the remaining tears away.

"I've just decided that I really hate it to see you cry," he whispered teasingly. The fact that Kurt now flat out laughed and cuddled back up to him in the process, made his heart flutter and his stomach flip from the wonderful sound.

"Come on, let's go inside. It's getting pretty chilly out here." Blaine got up and pulled Kurt on his feet. He gently placed a hand on his lower back and led him to the door. "Coffee is on me."

Despite the fact that Kurt heavily protested, Blaine send him off to occupy their favourite table. When Kurt realized Blaine really wasn't going to have it any other way, he sighed and caved in.

"Okay, I'll have a -"

"Grande non-fat mocha."

Kurt raised an eyebrow and moved on to being very impressed.

"You know my coffee order?"

"Of course I do," Blaine scolded, feigning to be hurt and offended. Kurt didn't fell for it and giggled softly as he walked away. He never noticed the longing stare Blaine burned into his back. With a smitten sigh Blaine went to the register, where the barista was already awaiting him with a smile. He gave her their orders, paid and went to the end of the counter to wait for their drinks. Another barista made them for him and gave them to him together with a muffin.

"I didn't order that," he said, pointing to the little cake.

"Oh I know," the barista smiled. "It's on us, so you can share it with your boyfriend. We could see from here that something was going on with him when you were still outside. You two are always so lovely together. Ohio really hasn't got enough gay couples."

"Oh," Blaine mumbled softly. "He isn't my boyfriend. We are both gay, but we're only best friends."

The barista's face fell for a split second, but she pulled out a smile again in no time.

"Well, then you are a wonderful best friend. Take the muffin anyway. And you should consider telling him you love him."

"Okay , I…wait what?"

"I can see such things in people's eyes and it's written all over your face, sweetheart."

Blaine blushed, nodded shyly and thanked her for the muffin. When he turned around to search for Kurt, he could hear the barista cry out to her colleague.

"Violet, they're not dating!"

"No freaking way that's true."

Blaine chuckled and went back to searching for Kurt, who'd exchanged their usual table in the middle of the café for a more quiet space in the back. Sitting in a slump position and wearing the most sombre expression Blaine had ever seen, Kurt waited there without taking his eyes from the table in front of him. It wasn't until Blaine placed his coffee and the muffin in front of him that it seemed that a little bit of life crept back into him.

"You got me a muffin?"

"I got it from the barista's. The one who gave me it said it was for us to share but I'm giving it you. To cheer you up."

Kurt gave him a grateful look, but broke the muffin in two anyway. Then he took one of the pieces and held it in front of Blaine's mouth so he could take a bite.

"Why'd they give it to us? Not that I don't appreciate it."

"They saw us outside. They saw you…" Blaine left out the part where the barista's thought they were dating. He did not want to add awkwardness to Kurt's misery.

"That's so sweet of them," Kurt smiled. "And it's sweet of you to get me coffee. But next time, coffee is on me. As a thank you."

"Deal," Blaine laughed. He then reached over the table and took Kurt's hand in his own.

"Are you okay, Kurt? You're so awfully quiet."

"Yes," Kurt sighed. If this was anyone but Blaine, he'd probably have rolled his eyes; but with Blaine he couldn't. The way Blaine cared was just too endearing.

"Me being like this happened many times before, you know. It's not the first time the jocks got me on the edge. Usually if my parents are home, I go to this special spot. If they're not home, I go home and lock myself in my room. In both cases I eventually end up crying myself to sleep and stay miserable for days. Now, with you giving me that pep talk, the coffee and the muffin and you just being here looking after me…Blaine, I feel so much better. Yes, It's still bothering me lots and it will for a while, but this me doing much better. Really…"

Blaine let out a relieved breath while stroking his thumb over Kurt's slender fingers.

"I'm sorry. I just-"

"Don't you dare apologize Blaine Berry-Anderson," Kurt mocked with a smirk and that's when Blaine really realized that Kurt was indeed doing well again. He playfully pouted at Kurt and sweetly grinned.

"I won't then."

The two boys snickered before feeding each other the last pieces of muffin.

"Hey Kurt? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but what is that special spot you mentioned?"

Kurt stared at him intently, pondering whether or not to share it. Then he got a bright idea. He quickly started to gather all his belongings, leaving Blaine utterly clueless and confused.

"Kurt?"

"Pack your things and come with me."

Doing as he was told, Blaine grabbed his bag, coat and half-emptied coffee cup and chased Kurt, who waved friendly to the barista's and mouthed a thank you to them, out of the Lima Bean.

"Kurt! Wait up! What's going on?"

When they reached Kurt's Navigator, Kurt finally stopped and addressed him.

"Did you come here with your own car?"

"No. Nick dropped me off and is picking me up later at your place. Why?"

"Hop in then."

Blaine did as he was told without question, but his confused state of mind didn't leave once. Kurt drove them away, humming and singing softly to the music from Birdy coming out of the radio. All the while he ignored the quizzical looks coming from Blaine and answered questions only with a secretive smirk. Blaine eventually gave up and just sang along with the music.

After less than a half hour driving, they stopped at a parking lot. Blaine could see water in the distance and connected the dots. They were at a lake.

"Blaine Berry-Anderson, welcome to my special spot."

It took a few moments, but Kurt's words sank into him. Kurt didn't tell him about one of the very few places he went to, to escape from the world; he actually took him there. The magnitude of Kurt's trust in him suddenly became very clear. One did not simply admit someone to their save harbour, did they?

"Hey you, come help me, silly."

"Blaine was awoken from his deep thoughts by Kurt, who was now going through the content of his trunk. Before he could even ask what kind of help he could offer, a blanket was tossed in his arms, followed closely by a second one. Kurt rummaged a little further and finally dug out a six-pack of water bottles, of which he took one for each of them.

"What's with all the bags," Blaine asked, referring to the neat pile of shopping bags stacked in the trunk.

"Old clothes from Finn and me," Kurt shrugged. "They're for one of our Glee friends; Sam."

"Hmmm, name does ring a bell. Probably heard it from Rachel."

"He's Mercedes' boyfriend."

"Ooooh him…"

"Yeah, he's a sweetheart but his family has severe financial problems. Typical _'bad things happening to good people'_ kind of thing. Everyone in Glee tries to help out."

Kurt closed the trunk and grabbed his bag and the water bottles before locking his car.

"But enough about Sam for now. I wanted to share this place with you and that's what I'm going to do."

Blaine followed Kurt up a sideway path that seemed to go in a different direction from the big open grass field and little beach, which were crowed with a few groups of people. They were actually heading to a hill which was higher up than the more public area.

Several minutes later, they sat down in a patch of grass between trees. It had a beautiful, picturesque view over the lake.

"I always come up here because nobody else does and it's much quieter than down there below," Kurt explained as he spread out the blankets and shed his coat. Blaine followed his lead and took of his Dalton blazer and tie off before flopping down on the blankets.

"It's gorgeous out here. I didn't know there was such a place in Lima."

"Well, I've been coming here all my life; literally."

Blaine rolled on his stomach and rested his head on his elbows before giving Kurt what Kurt called his _curious puppy_ look. Basically, it was Blaine pulling out these big, adorable eyes that made Kurt's tremble all over and his heart flutter more than usual.

"My parents have been taking me here over since I was a baby. We would come here ever single weekend. Taking walks, having picnics, going swimming…and we did that until I was seven. That's when my mom got sick and trips to the lake got more and more replaced by trips to the hospital. At one point we didn't come here at all anymore, because we were at the hospital all the time."

Blaine choked a bit, knowing exactly where that story went. He held his hand out to Kurt, who took it right away with a little smile. Blaine just gave him an encouraging squeeze and laced their fingers.

"One day," Kurt continued. "When I was eight, my mom kept begging us to take her back to the lake. She was sick of being in her hospital room and the hospital garden had become dull and repetitive to her. She didn't like to be caged."

Kurt snickered at the last sentence. His mother's free spirit was one of the things he loved most about her.

"My dad finally caved in one day. We took her here and she was so happy that day. We hadn't seen or heard her laugh the way she did in months."

Blaine wondered whether Kurt realized that his eyes shimmered when he spoke about his mother, because they did. It was as if the blue in his eyes became brighter than usual and got filled up by tiny glitters. The fact that the boy was looking straight at him didn't help. He just begged that Kurt didn't notice how smitten he was right now.

Then Kurt averted those mesmerizing eyes and cast them over the water. The smile he had on his face slowly fell.

"She passed away a week later, and my dad and I stayed away from here. Neither of us could handle it because everything about this place reminded us so much of her."

He paused a bit but Blaine didn't dare to speak.

"We only went back shortly after her passing to spread some of her ashes over the water. After that we didn't come back for over four years. I don't even know why but one day I just got up and told my dad I wanted to come here. He didn't object, didn't try to get me off the idea…he just packed some food and we drove out here."

"How was it?"

"Very calming actually. The whole place felt serene and up on this day, neither I, nor my dad knew why, but we could feel her presence. There was just some inexplicable feeling. It's just this big, warm, loving feeling. It was everything she was, but inside of us. We've felt it that day and we felt it every single time we came back."

A moment of silence fell. Blaine used it to sit up and scoot closer to Kurt, who was taken aback by his own emotions. Blaine slipped his fingers from Kurt and laid and arm around his waist, hugging him close.

"Do you…do you feel her now?"

Kurt glanced away from the lake back to Blaine, whose face was incredibly close now. They were staring right in each other's eyes.

"Yes," he admitted. "Always. Feeling her is the reason I come back here. It helps. Sometimes I sit here and talk to her in my head. And then I hear her voice exactly the way it was when I was seven. I hear her say phrases she really used to say to me. I often hear her telling me how much she loves me."

Kurt stopped talking to wipe a little tear away and felt Blaine hugging him tighter for it.

"That was beautiful, Kurt. Thank you for sharing that and this place with me. I'm kind of bumped that Rachel never told me about it."

"Don't blame her. She doesn't know."

"What?"

Kurt snickered at Blaine's dumbfounded expression.

"She doesn't know. I've never told her or Mercedes or took any of them here. I've never been here with someone other than my parents before. I'm considering taking Finn. I think he'd appreciate it since he lost his dad when he was a baby."

Blaine was now even more thunderstruck and his eyes even welled up.

"You've never taken someone here before."

"No, you're the first person ever."

"But…why me. Rach and Mercedes-"

"You're one of my best friends, Blaine. Yes, Rachel and Mercedes are too. But you understand me on levels they never will. You know exactly why I need to escape to a place like this. You've helped me a lot. I think we've been helping each other a lot. Taking you here just felt right."

Redemption. That was what Blaine felt. He had let himself get chased away from public school. Had felt weak for a long time. But the amount of gratitude Kurt had shown him by letting him into a place that was so sacred to him; a place he'd never shared with anyone else. Simply because Blaine had helped him live through the problems he himself had run away from. It really was the sweetest redemption.

"Kurt, that means so much to me. You have no idea."

They locked eyes and without exchanging a single word, they both sat straight up and hugged each other tightly.

"Can I ask you something though?" Kurt said in Blaine's ear, before they were letting go and linked hands again.

"Always."

Kurt smiled at Blaine's standard answer to him. He barely used _always_ for Rachel or his Dalton's friends, but it was a given for him.

"When we were at the Lima Bean and you gave me that talk, you said that _we_we're going to New York. What exactly did you mean by that or was it a mistake?"

A mischievous grin spread across Blaine's face.

"Definitely not a mistake. You and my sister aren't the only ones with big Broadway dreams, you know."

"You're coming to New York with us?" Kurt shrieked wide-eyed.

"Yes," Blaine laughed loud. He was happy to now be the one to startle the other. "That's if you want me to be there of course. Rachel knows. She has since we were both kids. I know she'd never object. But this is as much your dream as it is hers and mine. You two already made concrete plans while she and I never really got past 'one day will go to New York and escape from all the bullies'. So if you don't want me there, I'll understand. I'll get there myself and-"

"Blaine, shut up," Kurt growled with hot tears. "What are you even saying. Of course I want you to be there. You're my best friend, damn it."

He flung himself back into Blaine's arms and hid his face into Blaine's neck, sobbing heavily.

"Holy shit, we're going to be in New York together," Blaine mumbled when he really started to realize what just was said. He held Kurt with one hand and cradled the boy's head with his other. And that's how they sat as they both cried tears of pure happiness.


	10. Chapter 10 part 1

The two boys sat tangled up together; Blaine on the ground with Kurt perched on his lap. Arms were wrapped around necks and waists. Hands were either tangled in hair, cupping and caressing faces or roaming backs. Tiny kisses were dropped on temples or cheeks. Happy tears and heavy sobs continually mingled.

One would whisper the phrase '_we're going to New York together'_ regularly and the other would always answer with either '_we are' or 'it's going to be amazing'._

Blaine smiled as he nuzzled his face in the crook of Kurt's neck, eagerly inhaling the sweet, fruity scent that enveloped him. It had taken a little while before everything had properly sunk in, but it definitely had now and right now he felt happier than he already did since he met Kurt.

He always knew he would be leaving this town with Rachel, but he never dared to dream that he'd leave with someone who had the same experiences as him. He figured he might meet people in New York who went to similar things, but having Kurt there with him would make everything a million times better. The things he dreamed of doing in New York would feel so much more accomplished with Kurt around.

The other boy had slid of his lap so he could sit next to him instead. The tears of joy were wiped away, sobs stopped and a deep breath was taken. That all made room for Kurt chattering excitedly about trying to find an apartment for the three of them; or getting a dorm room together if they were to live on campus.

As Blaine listened quietly with a small smile, he talked about all the touristy things they should do between moving in and starting college. That sparked an idea in Blaine's mind.

He grabbed his bag in search for several items. Kurt, on his turn, had fallen quiet; curious to why Blaine wasn't listening anymore and why he needed the pen and notebook he just took out of his bag.

"Come look," Blaine chirped, before writing something down. Kurt hovered over his shoulder and watched him write. When he saw the words, the biggest grin broke out on his face.

**New York bucket list:**

**Things that Kurt Elijah Hummel and Blaine Alexander Berry-Anderson are going to do **

**together in New York, which may or may not include Rachel Barbra Berry-Anderson**

"Blaine, that's genius," Kurt exclaimed. He settled himself in a comfortable position, as did Blaine and two started brainstorming. Where Kurt came up with a few classic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the Museum of Modern Arts and the Brooklyn bridge; Blaine added things like Times Square, Central Park, Ellis Island and Madam Tussauds (because he needed to see where he could find Kurt's wax statue in a year or ten. Kurt giggled and smacked him softly on the arm.)

"Oh, we should try to get rush tickets to see Wicked on Broadway," Blaine said, writing it down at the same time. Behind the sentence he added and R between parentheses.

"What does the R stand for?"

"Rachel. If and R is added we must include her. She'd kill us if we didn't take her to see Wicked with us."

"She'd kill us and bring us back to life, just to kill us again," Kurt seriously stated, but then he and Blaine loudly snickered.

They came up with a few more things – like getting coffee in a real New York café that wasn't a Starbucks – when Kurt pitched that they should have breakfast at Tiffany's just once, for the thrill of it. Blaine wrote it down immediately. They exchanged one look and shouted 'R' simultaneously in a cloud of laughter.

After a while they made up a very decent list, and Blaine put the notepad away with the promise that he'd copy it when he got back at Dalton and give the original to Kurt.

"How are we going to do all of this in such a short period while moving in and getting ready for school at the same time," Kurt worried out loud.

"We don't have to," Blaine replied. "Some of these things can be done on the same day but we're in New York for school for about four years. We have multiple summers and there will be nights when we're all free and don't have lots of homework. We'll get the list done eventually."

Kurt sighed relieved. He let Blaine take both of his hands, feeling cheerful when Blaine squeezed them for a tad.

The feeling didn't last long though. The proud and content look that he'd been sharing with his best friend dropped unexpectedly and he got into a funk that had Blaine worrying.

"What's wrong, Kurt," he asked.

"Nothing," Kurt mumbled. A guilty sob came from him when he saw how concerned Blaine was "Really, B. There's nothing, I promise."

"Blue, You do realize you only tent to use that nickname whenever something is obviously up with you and you don't want me to worry too much," Blaine remarked with a smirk.

They'd come around using nicknames only very recently, during a chat on Skype. Kurt had been slightly depressed about his locker getting defaced with hateful, homophobic slurs, but wouldn't want to tell Blaine because he felt he complained too much to the other boy. After continuous imposing, Kurt had begged 'B' to stop it. It surprised them both, but Blaine quickly had taken a huge liking to it and then pleaded 'Blue' –named after the colour of Kurt's eyes – to just tell him all of his problems. After that they used the nicknames only twice more under the same circumstances. And now again.

"Come on, Blue," Blaine now whispered desperately, cupping Kurt's face and making him look into his eyes.

Kurt averted his eyes anyway, but chose to speak.

"I just thought about how amazing this day turned out to be and then the events from school came up in my head and killed my mood."

Blaine figured out right away that talking about Kurt's mother and the bucket list held Kurt's mind of reality. He was determined to continue just that. Everything to have Kurt smiling again.

He lay down flat on his back. The ground radiated a bit of cold through the blanket and his thin shirt; he couldn't be bothered by it.

"C'mere," he said softly, as he reached a hand out to Kurt. Said boy gave him a questioning look but accepted the hand and lay down with him. Safely curled up at his side with his resting on his shoulder is how Blaine found Kurt a few seconds later. Kurt's placed his hand gently on Blaine's chest, directly over the other boy's heart. He could feel Blaine breathing beneath his fingers, as well as the steady, but particularly fast, beating of his heart.

Then Blaine softly told him random storied about life at Dalton that had all occurred very recently: David and Nick pranking an arachnophobic Wes with a fake tarantula; Jeff accidentally flooding an entire corridor by clogging a toilet; Trent, who nailed a well deserved Warbler lead and who'd become a closer friend, and Nick, who got an A in French for the very first time in his life thanks to Kurt. It was all random, but Kurt couldn't get enough of the stories.

"Oh, I promised them that next week I'd kidnap you after coffee and bring you back to Dalton."

"Why?" Kurt yawned, stretching himself out. He slipped easily back into his old position, head and hand resting on Blaine.

"They adore you, Kurt. You're like the class pet everyone wants to take home and spoil rotten."

"Though I'm absolutely flattered, I'm not sure how to feel about being compared to a rabbit or guinea pig."

"Bad example," Blaine laughed loudly. "Sorry for that. But they do though. They all liked you a lot. They already liked you from all the times they barged into us when we were Skyping and invited themselves into the conversation, but meeting you in real life made them like you more. You're and I quote 'so adorable that you could put kitties and puppies out of work for the next five years'. Well, that came from Jeff but everyone agreed. They want to be friends with you. That is if you want them to be, of course."

"Of course I want that," Kurt gasped as sprung up in a sitting position. "I like them too, I told you. Tell them I'll gladly come."

Blaine smiled fondly at him. Just knowing that his friends not only approved of Kurt but actually liked him and that it was all vice versa; it meant the world to him. With everything that had happened to him, peace was the only thing he wanted in the little world he had built up around him.

"Will you tell me a bit more about your mother?" Blaine asked softly. He absentmindedly ran his hand over Kurt's back as he did so. "She seemed like a lovely woman."

"She really was. She was an elementary school teacher, so she knew exactly how to work with children. She'd always sing the songs she sang with her class with me. She would tell me the stories she told them that she often made .up herself. As I said before, she had a free spirit so we were outside a lot. When I was young, I already had a taste for fashion, so I'd always go along shopping with her. She was always so beautiful when she was standing in front of a mirror with a new dress on."

For the next fifteen minutes, Kurt told him several stories with that same spark in his eyes Blaine saw earlier. At one point he listened less and stared more at Kurt, taking in his every single feature like had many times before. Like all the other times, he fell more in love with Kurt than he had before.

"She would've loved you and that smart head of yours," Kurt giggled. "She'd talk to you about books forever and have witty discussions with you, like the ones you have with David. If only she were around to meet you."

Then it dawned on Kurt what he and Blaine initially were going to do today. He was going to introduce him to his parents. Both Burt and Carole were delighted when he told them Blaine wanted to meet them as well. He glanced at his watch and sighed relieved. There was still plenty of time to drive home and still be on time for dinner.

"Blaine, we need to go. My parents, remember?"

Blaine remembered now too and the two of them quickly assembled all of their belongings before hurrying of to Kurt's navigator. The ride to Kurt's house started of fun. The two of them sang loudly to the Top 40 hits coming from the radio. But the longer the ride lasted, the quieter Blaine became. When they finally stopped in front of Kurt's house, he was completely silent.

How he got out of the car, he could not remember, but he was standing next to Kurt's Navigator and just stared at the front door. He didn't even understood w he was so tense. It wasn't as if he was meeting his in-laws; this wouldn't be any different from meeting the parents of any of his other friends. But then why did it feel that way?

"Blaine," Kurt's soft melodic voice sounded from beside him. "Are you okay?"

Blaine stiffly nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on the door.

"Oh my God, are you nervous?" Kurt giggled, stepped closer and took Blaine's hand in his. He squeezed it encouraging. It was enough to ease some of Blaine's tension.

"Don't be."

Kurt let go of his hand to tighten his Dalton tie and straighten the lapels of his blazer. "Just be yourself. They're going to love you, just like I do. It's hard not to with you."

Blaine's eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that Kurt just had said that he loved him; but then reasoned that Kurt probably loved him the same way he loved Rachel and Mercedes. He looked down and watched Kurt's hand expertly pulling on his lapels and aligning his tie.

He grinned. This was exactly how many of his daydreams went when he fantasised about a future with Kurt. They were living in New York, married, and they were about to leave for a Broadway show. Kurt, being the fashionista that he was, would make sure he looked as well as a man could; not a single imperfection in sight.

Kurt suddenly looked up and grinned back, his pale blue eyes shining brightly form amusement.

"Ready?"

"Yes."

Blaine let Kurt take his hand again before being tugged into the house. The living room had a classic homey feeling to it – not that his own house hadn't, but his parents preferred a more modern style – but it was deserted. Which is why Kurt called out after hanging up both of their coats.

"Dad? Carole?"

"In the kitchen, dear," a warm female voice sang back.

Before he knew, Blaine was being dragged to another room where they were met with the delicious smell of spaghetti sauce, and eventually, the sight of a woman behind the stove. Kurt walked over to her right away and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hi Carole."

"Hi sweetheart. Your dad's still at the shop. He should be home very soon," she said after pecking him back on the cheek. Blaine clearly saw how much Kurt loved his stepmother, but couldn't help but snicker when Kurt disapprovingly glared at Carole's jeans vest. That little sound made Carole notice him. The smile she offered him, made him feel at easy and the tension drifted off his shoulders at once.

"Carole, this is Blaine. Blaine, this is my stepmother; Carole."

"We've met before, haven't we?" Carole asked as she came closer and added a welcoming hug.

"Yes. I believe it was once when you came to pick up Finn, ma'am."

"Oh, polite too; just like your sister," Carole beamed. "And I think you're right. Well anyway, welcome. Dinner is ready in a few minutes. Why don't you boys go wash up?"

The two did as they were told and retreated to the living room after setting the dinner table. Blaine was instantly drawn to the various pictures from Kurt and Finn decorating one of the walls and Kurt took pleasure in explaining the ones that were from his own childhood.

He was in the middle of telling Blaine about one where he was about ten years old, suited up and looking like a gentleman for his aunt's wedding, when his father came home.

"Hey dad," Kurt chirped.

"Hey kiddo."

Kurt gave his father barely any space to properly come into living room. He already dragged Blaine by the sleeve over to him. Blaine felt Burt Hummel's judgemental eyes roaming over him and it took him a few seconds before he had the guts to actually look the man shyly in the eyes. But then, just like his wife, Burt smiled warmly at him.

"You must be Blaine."

Blaine only nodded and shook the hand Burt had extended to him. He still felt intimidated, until Kurt placed a hand on his as a comforting gesture.

"I heard many great things about you. As a matter of fact, Kurt won't ever shut up about you."

"Dad!" Kurt growled embarrassed. His cheeks flushed like tomatoes.

"What? It's true!" Burt shrugged, while Blaine cast Kurt an amused look. He felt more at ease now that he knew Burt wasn't as daunting as he seemed at first.

They all went to the dining room, where Carole had already served scales with spaghetti and sauce. They all sat down; Blaine next to Kurt. Their feet bumped together under the table but neither minded nor moved.

"Finn's not here?" Kurt asked when he noticed one plate, a set of cutlery and a glass were removed.

"No, he's over at Mike Chang's. They're practising for a Glee club assignment, he told me," Carole answered.

When Kurt frowned deeply, Blaine got curious. "Is that weird? You look like it's something unusual."

"Quite. They make an odd combination," Kurt explained while scooping some spaghetti on his plate. "Dance-wise, Mike is Julliard material, while Finn has the coordination of a tree. Singing-wise, Finn is strong. Mike isn't bad at all, but he's not a confident singer."

"Ah, okay. I get it. Finn's indeed better in singing than he is at dancing. First hand witness."

"You know Finn?" Burt asked, in between bites.

Blaine nodded. "He's dating my twin sister. I once had a 'protective brother' talk with him," he clarified.

"Of course, I forgot that you and Kurt met because you're Rachel's brother. Forgive me; I'm becoming an old man. My memory isn't always as cooperative as it used to be."

Burt laughed and everybody laughed along. Blaine was pleased to see Kurt like this after had happened earlier. With all the shit that happened to them over the years, he was glad they both lucked out in the parent department.

"I'm still grateful I let her in as a friend," Kurt mused. "If I hadn't, I would've never met you."

He closed his hand over Blaine's. A little squeeze was given in return. The two boys smiled at each other, slightly forgetting the presence of Kurt's parents.

After dinner, Kurt excused himself and Blaine with the announcement that he was going to show Blaine his room before the other boy had the return to Dalton.

**-oOo-**

As soon as the boys' footsteps echoed from the stairs, Burt let his head drop on the tale with a loud groan. Carole, who'd already started to clean up the table, worriedly placed the dishes in the sink and sat down next to her husband.

"What's wrong, dear?"

"Nothing, nothing," he sighed as he sat back up.

Carole looked suspiciously at Burt and then glanced at the door where the boys just disappeared from.

'It has something to do with boys, hasn't it? Didn't you like Blaine?"

"Oh no, Blaine's a lovely kid; a gentleman in the making. It's Kurt actually…"

This confused Carole. She hadn't noticed anything wrong with her stepson, other than that he was rather captivated by his friend. Maybe a bit too captivated for 'just a friend'.

"Kid's a true Hummel," Burt sighed. "My father once told me there is this particular face all Hummel men have whenever they are with the person who means the world to them. I know I had it when I saw Elizabeth walking down the aisle and we said I do to each other. I had it when I held Kurt in my arms for the very first time, and I had it again when I saw you _dancing_ down the aisle and we said I do to each other."

Carole smiled as she remembered her wedding day and she clearly remembered the soft, glistering, adoring eyes Burt watched her with. Tears of happiness which were contained, but clearly present.

The bight powerful smile that couldn't be broken. Smitten from head to toe…In real life it was all there too, just in a lesser quantity. And now that she thought about, it was the way Kurt had looked at Blaine during dinner; or whenever he spoke about his best friend.

"Oh Burt, Kurt's almost seventeen. You know it's only normal that he falls in love."

Burt nodded lightly. He took the hand his wife had laid over his and kissed her fingers.

"Of course I know that, I've seen it with the Finn-debacle and I knew something was up since the weekend he met Blaine; not to mention all the times he talks about the boy. I've had the damned Talk with him. But now I've been hit in the face with reality. He's really crazy about this kid. I secretly I hoped he wouldn't actually like a guy until he was…thirty. I…he…it seems only weeks ago that he was a little chubby toddler, strutting around the house in hid mothers heels, And now he's bringing boys home, looking at him with the Hummel face and taking them up to his room…oh God they're in his room alone! I should-"

"Leave them. They're friends, like Finn and Noah Puckerman. Only with different interest."

"Like boys? Which they both are," Burt groaned.

"I was talking about hobbies, grouch. You'd find them lost in magazines, those reality shows Kurt always watches or romantic movies instead of being glued to an X-Box."

She shifted in her seat and gently cupped her husband's face with both hands. She saw what she saw in many parents before: a parent who's unprepared and scared to see their child becoming an adult.

"They're both so innocent. I think they're just enjoying the fact that they've found a soul mate in this narrow-minded town. It's so hard out here for them."

"It is. It is."

"Then let them be, dear."

Burt sighed and caved in under the pleading yet stubborn eyes of his wife. He kissed her sweetly on the lips and proceeded to clean up the remaining dishes from the table. He did not miss way Carole smirked.

"How come you're so confident over this? You only have one son and he's as old as mine, yet you seem so much more experienced."

Carole giggled and joined her husband where he was standing by the sink. She wrapped her arms around him and let out a deep breath when his arms enclosed her as well.

"Our sons may be the same age, but I've already caught my son singing to the sonogram of his pregnant girlfriend. I've dealt with him coming home in tears because he found out said girlfriend had cheated on him with his best friend and the baby wasn't his. I've seen him come home, overjoyed because he'd found a new girl and she made him happier than anyone had ever before. Quite recently he told me he thought Rachel might be the love of his life. I've seen Finn turn into an adult at just sixteen when he said he was going to find a job to help Quinn pay for her hospital bills. I've had to accept it long ago. Now it's your turn."

"I don't like it," Burt grumbled. "But I guess you're right."

"I'm a woman. We're always right."

Before Burt could reply, Carole grinned again and kissed him. Then she took him to the living room to relax and watch some television. The dishes could wait; teasing Burt about his new found teenage-problems was much more satisfying.


	11. Chapter 10 part 2

"So, this is my room," Kurt said as he let Blaine into his bedroom and closed the door behind them. He watched Blaine take in his room and walk around, taking in all of his belongings.

"Is it weird if I say that this is quite like what I imagined your room to be? It breathes you."

"And what am I?" Kurt charmingly smirked.

"Chic, sophisticated, elegant, fashionable." Blaine stepped closer to his friend and caressed Kurt's cheek with one finger. "And you're adorable when you blush because of compliments. "

Kurt pouted and slightly shoved Blaine against his arm; Blaine wanted to kiss those pouty lips away.

Kurt gave him a tour of his room. Well, it was more of a tour of his closet and its content since the room wasn´t very large. Despite not being rich and having to rely on bargains and sales, Kurt had managed to put an impressive collection of designer clothing together. Though Blaine wasn´t even half the fashionista Kurt was, he did have somewhat of an interest in fashion and he kind of envied Kurt.

"You and I are going shopping together more often. We'll tow my horribly dressed sister with us if we have to."

This excited Kurt. The last time a guy offered to go shopping with him was, well, never. And he's been dying to give Rachel a makeover ever since he saw her walking through the halls of McKinley for the very first time. From the moment they'd become friends, he'd been trying to convince her that vintage-like dresses would do so much more for her than those hideous animal shirts and plaid skirts. Maybe Blaine could help convince her.

"Deal," he smiled and pulled Blaine out of his walk-in closet.

His phone beeped in his bag, announcing a text. He let Blaine's hand go, so he could open the messenger bag on his bed. He grinned when Blaine started to whine about being ditched for a phone. The first thing in his bag that actually came in sight was a plastic bag, which held his ruined shirt. It brought back the awful of earlier that day, so he grabbed it and mindlessly tossed it away.

It ended right in front of Blaine's feet, who picked it up and took out the shirt. At first sight it looked like a simple dress shirt, but the silky feeling fabric, the asymmetrical button down front, shoulder epaulettes and the form of the collar and the pleated, rolled button cuffs proved otherwise. It was an Alexander McQueen and it was totally Kurt.

But the once white shirt was now for the most part covered in red, blue and purple stains; the result of the massive slushy attack. Blaine had picture how the attack had gone when Kurt had said there were seven jocks, but the actual result went far above his imagination.

"Kurt…"he chocked. Kurt spun around and saw the stained shirt in Blaine's hands. "I didn't know it was this bad. I'm so sorry, Kurt."

From one moment to the other, Kurt fumed with rage. He ripped the shirt from Blaine and hurled it back on the ground, before harshly shoving Blaine against his chest.

"Don't you dare apologize for those bastards. Don't you dare, Blaine!"

He kept shoving Blaine – unintentionally sending him stumbling backwards – and with every shove, the anger inside him built up. Vengeful tears streaked his pale face.

"Don't. You. Fucking. Dare!"

He growled; he breezed; he actually hit Blaine with the side of his fists, but none of it registered in his head. He was out of it; the rage in him had broken him.

Blaine calmly stood by; willingly receiving every blow Kurt sent his way. The punches were bearable, and he knew that none of it was directed towards him. Kurt needed to get this out of his system, and he was going to help him with it.

For at least a minute or three, he let Kurt shove and punch him, 'till he had to admit to himself that his chest started to feel sore. He took hold of Kurt's wrists in attempt to stop him. Kurt, however, immediately fought against him for his release.

Blaine was too strong; it was futile to get loose out of his grasp. So Kurt gave in, gave himself over and collapsed against his best friend. He started crying loudly right after.

"It's okay, Kurt. Everything is okay."

Blaine felt his neck become wet where Kurt had buried his face, but he couldn't get himself to care. He couldn't care for anything except Kurt. He wrapped his arms tightly around Kurt's shaking frame and whispered comforting words into his ear. Now and then he also dropped tiny kisses on Kurt's temple.

He himself struggled against crying himself, because it simply hurt to see Kurt as broken as he was. He couldn't help but wonder if it was this hard for Kurt that time they were at his own house and he had burst into tears after telling him about his own past.

Kurt eventually calmed down and pulled away from Blaine's damp neck. He'd also left several wet spots on the collars of Blaine's shirt and blazer.

"Sorry for that," he mumbled hoarsely and attempted to pat them dry with a tissue.

"Now look who's apologizing," Blaine joked; it made Kurt chuckle.

"Are you okay, though?"

"Are we ever really okay in this town?"

Blaine didn't answer.

Kurt walked over to his dresser, opened the top drawer and reached far into the back. Blaine couldn't see what he was doing, until Kurt pulled out a slim, rectangular box. He sat down on the edge of his bed and motioned for Blaine to join him; which Blaine did.

"The shirt isn't the only thing of mine those jocks ruined," Kurt softly said while handing him the box. Blaine gave him a wary glance before opening it. Lying in red velvet was a beautiful silver necklace with a small locket attached to it. However, the chain was broken and so was the locket. Blaine took the top of the locket, which revealed a photo of a young Kurt with a woman who clearly was his mother. It resembled a much larger photo standing in Kurt's desk.

"It was my mom's. It was the last mother's day present I ever gave to her. I started to wear it under my clothes a few years back. Not long ago, I was wearing a v-neck shirt without a scarf and I bended over after I dropped something. So the locket slipped out and a jock literally yanked it off my neck and smashed it against a wall. He said such necklaces were for girls and I acted enough like one as it was."

Kurt chocked and was on the verge of crying again; Blaine instantly offered an arm of comfort to him. He couldn't fight a little smile from appearing when Kurt pretty much crawled into him. He never could when Kurt came so close. Fortunately, he always managed to be clear-headed enough to not let his feeling for Kurt get in the way of being there for Kurt in the way he should be. This time was no different; even if Kurt had his face buried in his neck and he could swear he felt Kurt's lips grace over his skin.

It was silent for a minute or two. The only sound came from the television downstairs. Finally Kurt spoke, softly, almost inaudible.

"That necklace being taken from me hurt more than any slushy, dumpster toss or push against a locker has ever had. Getting humiliated in front of the entire school, getting beat up; it's all nothing compared. I felt like they were touching her, like she was taken from me all over again."

He picked up the box and bitterly glared at the broken pieces of jewellery. Blaine's arm around him tightened and a set of lips pressed a kiss in his hair and another on his forehead. Then the box was taken from and snapped shut,

"Stop looking at it. It makes you upset," Blaine's voice whispered in his ear.

"It does," he confirmed. "That's why I hid it in the back of the drawer. So I don't have to see it, so my dad will never see it. He knew how much she loved it."

A deep breath. A sigh. A defeated attitude.

"I don't want to cry anymore over these assholes, Blaine. I'm sick and tired of it. I don't want to waste any more tears."

"The maybe you should do what I never dared to. Fight back. Not literally of course, but call them out. Confront them. Let them know they shouldn't mess with you any longer. I remember what you said about me going to Dalton. That it wasn't running away like a coward, but a way of survival. But I still regret that I never stood up for myself and kept seeming weak. I regret it so much. I never had the courage to do it, but I know you, and you have it."

"Blaine, I don't-"

"Yes you do, Kurt!"

Blaine pushed Kurt off of him, to cup his hands around rosy cheeks. He ended up looking straight into those ocean blue orbs that had the firmest hold on his heart.

"The first day you and I really spoke, you said you weren't a strong person. I like to think I actually know you now and you are strong. You don't even realise how much I envy you."

Kurt's watery eyes glimmered and his lips curled up into a sad smile. He let his hands trail over Blaine's arms – secretly fawning over the boy's muscles – before taking Blaine's hands of his cheeks and lacing them with his own.

"I want to clone you so I can take you everywhere with me. You're so good at making me feel better about myself. I'll think about the bully thing. Right now you have more faith I me than I do. Thank you for that, by the way."

Kurt leaned over and kissed him on the cheek; longer and more tender than he usually did. That was one thing Blaine noticed right away. He couldn't help but wonder if it meant something special. What he did know was that he wanted to push Kurt flat on his back and kiss him senseless, right here on his own bed, until they were both absolutely dizzy.

"Kurt, can you come down for a second? I need help with something," Burt shouted from downstairs.

Kurt playfully rolled his eyes at Blaine.

"Probably something with his computer. If it is, it might take a while. Be right back."

Kurt let Blaine go – unaware of the cold feeling he left the boy with – and placed the jewellery box back in the drawer before rushing out of the room. The minute Blaine was sure Kurt was out of sight, he acted fast. He grabbed the discarded shirt from the floor and took the jewellery box out of the drawer again. He quickly stuffed both items in his own backpack, which luckily was upstairs in Kurt's room. He really hoped Kurt wouldn't miss them, because he had plans with them. He was going to fix this mess for him and surprise him. Kurt deserved it.

All the other stuff were returned to their original positions so they wouldn't make Kurt suspicious. Then he started on his second plan to surprise Kurt. He only thought of it a few minutes ago, but now with Kurt out of the room, he might as well execute now as fast as possible. Kurt could use it, he was convinced.

He searched through Kurt's desk and found cardboard paper, a pair of scissors, glue and in the magazine rack next to the door he found a few copies of Vogue and Marie Claire. He just hoped Kurt wouldn't kill him for cutting into them.

"Hey, I'm back. It was indeed my dad's comp-...what are you doing?"

Kurt looked puzzled at the mess on his desk, created by Blaine, and even more at the magazines lying around him.

"Wait a sec," Blaine mumbled, not taking his eyes of whatever he was cutting. Just as Kurt was about to protest, Blaine cut the last piece and grinned triumphantly.

"Done!"

"What's done?"

As an answer, Blaine handed him whatever he just made and smiled hopefully at him. Kurt looked down at Blaine's hands and saw that he had created a collage, made out of letter's taken from covers and ads from his magazines. It spelled courage.

"Thought it might help you to remember to stay strong. And to one day find the guts to stand up against those assholes. I- HMPF!"

Blaine never got to finish his last sentence; Kurt had tackled him with a tight hug.

"You're amazing. You're amazing. You're amazing," he chanted into Blaine's hair.

"So you're not mad I cut your magazines," Blaine asked softly.

"Are you crazy!" Kurt cried out. "I absolutely love what you made. How can I ever be mad at you? You're the best friend in the freaking universe. Thank you so much."

"For you always, Kurt," Blaine smiled, ecstatic about the fact that his plan to surprise Kurt worked. He felt a tad of an empty ache when Kurt pulled back, but got blown away by the dazzling smile Kurt gave him. Their eyes locked and Blaine could feel these heave sparks; the same he always felt when they ended up gazing at each other like this.

The sound of two cats fighting under Kurt's window snapped them out of the trance they were in.

"Uhm, we still have time. What should we do?" Blaine asked, blushing. He felt foolish for blushing. He didn't even know why he was doing it.

"I have the last episode of Project Runway Allstars recorded. I didn't watch it yet, because you couldn't. You had to study for your maths test, remember? We can actually watch it together for once, instead of over Skype."

They both grinned as they recalled the many times, they set up Skype and watched TV-shows or movies together at the same time with Kurt being at home or at Mercedes' and Blaine being at Dalton.

"Love to," Blaine replied.

"That dress is a crime against humanity," Kurt spat outraged a while later.

They were curled up together on his bed and watched the judges review the top and bottom three.

"It's not that bad," Blaine snickered.

"Blaine, what is wrong with you? It looks like it was made out of cheap curtains. And that poor model. She's as skinny as my friend Brittany, but in that dress she looks like she's about to pop out twins. A pregnant looking model means instant failure."

"Yeah, okay. It's dreadful."

Kurt held out his hand and Blaine high fived him. Blaine's hand went atop Kurt's arm which was wrapped around his own waist. The hand of Blaine's other arm was still half buried in Kurt's surprisingly messy hair. Blaine figured that it being messy already was the only reason he was allowed to touch it.

Normally Kurt tented to throw a fit if Blaine only pointed at his perfectly styled lock and it would be followed by a new layer of hairspray. He'd only seen it unstyled and messy once before, when he caught Kurt on his way to the bathroom in the hall – the bright, almost neon pink of Rachel's bathroom was too much for his eyes in the early morning, Kurt had argued. He had never been sexier.

"Austin's dress is beautiful, but Michael's is just divine," Blaine commented on the first designer's gold with black tulle gown, versus a completely black, draped gown with an open back; the front of it covered by shiny black feathers and beaded straps.

"M-hm." Kurt hummed in agreement. "I'd become a woman just to be able to wear that dress."

"Don't need to. You could just go drag. You have the body for it."

Kurt blushed furiously and didn't dare to actually look at Blaine, afraid he'd embarrass himself or something.

"And the voice."

"BLAINE!" Kurt shrieked, grabbing one of his many pillows to hit his friend in the face. Muffled laughter coming from under the pillows was heavily contagious and soon Kurt was laughing right with him. A little wrestling match ensued, because no one insulted Kurt E. Hummel, even if it was meant as a joke.

He ended up flat on his back, with Blaine half hovering over him. They breathed the rush off and smiled goofily at each other. Kurt giggled when Blaine teasingly scrunched his nose up.

He let his arm snake around Blaine's waist again and actually used Blaine to hoist himself up and press his own body against Blaine's. He buried his face into the crook of Blaine's neck – which seemed to be shaped to fit him precisely – and took a big whiff of his cologne. He'd loved it since their very first hug.

Blaine on his turn wrapped an arm around Kurt's frame to keep him close, and decided in that very moment he wanted to stay like this forever; the boy of his dreams in his arms, the both of them shivering and shaking from the insane sparks. The chemistry happening between them, despite the lack of words eye and lip contact, was out of this world.

"I'm so glad we've met, Blaine. I can't and don't want to imagine a world without you."

"My life would've been empty, dull and lacking without you," Blaine replied. "I'd be a lot more miserable, even with my friends at Dalton."

"Well, we _are _in each other's lives. We're best friends. So let's forget those alternate worlds, agree?"

"Absolutely."

Kurt moved from Blaine's neck to his shoulder, from where he peeped up at Blaine with what Blaine thought was the most adorable look ever. He brushed his fingers against Kurt's soft, flawless-feeling cheek, causing Kurt to smile more brightly than ever before. He bend down and let his lips touch Kurt's forehead, before leaning his head against the same spot.

The host of Project Runway announced Austin as the winner of the challenge and both boys groaned.

"Rubbish," Kurt sighed absently while he looped his legs around Blaine's.

"Complete rubbish," Blaine agreed, not taking his eyes of the gorgeous creature in his arms. For what seemed the millionth time since he met Kurt, he felt a deep urge to kiss him, though there were only two or three times where he actually initiated the tiniest move in the direction of a real kiss. This moment was one of those times.

This time there would be no friends checking his whereabouts – they all knew exactly where he was right now. Plus Nick was coming to pick him up in time – there was no Elliot with his bad timing and there was no curfew to rush either of them off. Just the two of them in this very moment; together in a web of arms, and legs, and thick sexual tension.

Project Runway continued forgotten in the background with the creator of the pregnancy dress ending up eliminated, but neither boy noticed. Blaine was too busy moving closer to those attractive lips and Kurt was internally freaking out because he could swear _again_ that Blaine was about to kiss him. And nothing was there to stop him.

Then there were three sharp knocks on the door, followed by kind sounding-voice.

"Boys?"

Burt.

Kurt quickly untangled himself entirely from Blaine - who was cursing silently over yet another missed opportunity to kiss Kurt – and called for his father to enter.

"Did you boys have a fight?" Burt asked astonished after he saw Kurt's messy bed. Usually it was always made perfectly and with uttermost care. His bed looking like a warzone was an understatement and it baffled Burt in all ways possible.

"Wrestled. I won," Kurt announced proudly.

"You wished, Hummel. I had you down in no time."

"You're deluding yourself, Anderson," Kurt spat back and forcefully pushed Blaine flat on his back. "You got nothing on me, hobbit."

"Hey! I'm only an inch shorter than you," Blaine whimpered with a pout. "And I did win."

Kurt simply rolled his eyes and turned to his father, who watched them endeared and amused. He'd never seen Kurt interact like that with another boy, or anyone in general for that matter. He really started to like Blaine. Anyone who could drag this out of his son was good in his book.

"Sorry to interrupt your discussion, but Blaine, a friend of yours is here to pick you up."

Two sets of eyes flashed to the clock on the wall and two smiles dropped in an instant.

"Must be Nick. I didn't know it was so late already," Blaine mumbled. He failed miserably in hiding the disappointment in his voice. He wanted to stay with Kurt for at least a few more hours. He gathered his blazer and tie from Kurt's desk chair and started to dress himself.

Kurt waited patiently for him to finish and fixed his tie and a few loose curls in his hair when he did so. They were so close when Kurt's hands were working on Blaine's hair; it was inevitable that their eyes met again and they ended up grinning goofily at each other.

"Ahum." Burt's awkward cough shook them up. Both boys blushed and stepped away from the other, while Burt chuckled and left the room.

"We should…go…downstairs…now!" Kurt mumbled and dashed away.

"Yeah," Blaine assed, grabbing his backpack. He rushed after Kurt and caught up with him right before he was about to descend from the stairs. With a smirk he grabbed Kurt by the hips and pulled him back towards him. In a swift move he easily hoisted him up and threw him over his shoulder.

"Blaine!" Kurt screeched. "Put me down, you Neanderthal."

"No! I won and you know it!" Blaine laughed back. With a kicking Kurt on his shoulder he ran downstairs, where a smirking Nick and a confused-looking Finn were waiting.

"Hey guys," Nick and Finn said simultaneously; Finn sounded more awkward.

Blaine had already put Kurt on his feet, who'd skipped to Nick to hug him, while Blaine and Finn exchanged a bro-fist. Finn then left the hall on a quest for food.

Blaine, you kinda need to say good bye now or else we're going to be late. My parents will kill me if I get in trouble again," Nick said.

"The maybe you and Jeff should tone down the mischief," Kurt quipped, raising a judging eyebrow. Blaine sighed silently; that raised eyebrow made Kurt look sexy and sexy Kurt made his hormones rage.

"And lose my title as one of the Dalton Marauders? Never!" Nick cried out.

"Don't bother, Kurt. We've tried to keep them on the right path many times, but it's hopeless," Blaine said. "I'm going to say goodbye to your parents. Be right back."

Kurt and Nick watched him go and chatted a little more to fill the time.

"Oh, It's my birthday next week and I'm throwing a little party at my house. I'd like it if you came as well."

"Y-you do?" Kurt stuttered astonished.

"Yes, "Nick grinned. "I consider you a friend. All of us do, even though we've only met you once. Twice now in my case. Please take it as a hint to drop by more. Also, I owe you majorly for all the hours you've spent on tutoring me. Inviting you is the least I could do."

"Wow, thank you," Kurt replied, still half shocked. "I'll come definitely."

He stepped in and hugged Nick again. It still somewhat surprised him when boys freely and warmly hugged him back the way Nick did now. They just pulled back with a smile, when an arm wrapped around his waist and a body smoothly leaned against his.

"What are you guys talking about?" Blaine asked curious. Kurt to him with a grin and nudged him in his side.

"Nick invited me to his party next week."

"You're coming?!" Blaine exclaimed a little loud, a little enthusiastic and according to Kurt way too adorable.

"Yeah," Kurt giggled. "You see, Nick and I are friends now, so I don't really need you anymore to get to hang out at Dalton."

The corners of Blaine's lips curled downwards, forming his mouth into a cute pout, which was all kinds of irresistible. Kurt shook his head at him, put a finger on each end of Blaine's lips and pushed them up until he was smiling.

"You should save me a dance," Blaine begged softly.

"Maybe. Dalton has some pretty cute boys, like the one who was checking me out the other day. Who says I won't find my Prince Charming and dance in his arms all night long?"

When Blaine grimaced, Kurt burst out in giggles and let his arms slide around Blaine's neck, guiding him into a hug. Blaine could see Nick smirking at them and threw him a murderous glare while he hugged Kurt back.

"Blaine! Allons-y!" Nick whined impatiently. The two boys finally let go and exchanged bright, dreamy smiles, before finally saying their goodbyes to each other.

"Bye Mr. and Mrs. Hummel! Bye Finn!" Blaine yelled towards the living room and got three goodbyes back. The two Dalton boys moved towards the front door. Blaine had barely passed the threshold when he felt Kurt grabbing his hand and tugging him back.

"Blaine wait…"

He obeyed, turning back to Kurt to find him looking with a soft and thankful expression on his angelic face.

"Thank you for everything you did for me today."

"Oh Kurt, it was no-"

"Blaine, it was not nothing, and you know that very well. Just accept that you're a damn good friend and an amazing human being."

Kurt leaned forward and kissed him long and softly on his cheek. Then he moved a bit and whispered in his ear.

"You told me to have courage. Now I'm telling you to start believing in yourself."

Blaine only nodded and received another kiss; this time on his forehead. Kurt retreated and lingered on the threshold. Blaine wanted to tell him a million things that varied from an appreciation of their friendship, up to a marriage proposal. But nothing came out of his mouth.

"Blaine! Vamanos!" Nick yelled from where he was standing at his car.

"You know, for a guy who sucks at foreign languages, he uses them very well," Kurt chuckled amused.

"I know. Don't tell him though. See you Friday?"

"Absolutely."

One last hug was shared and Blaine reluctantly left. Kurt kept lingering in the doorway, until Nick's BMW left the street.

**-oOo-**

Nick barely sat behind the wheel when Blaine blurted out a waterfall of words.

"You're not inviting Donovan."

Nick looked at him disbelieving, only to burst out in loud laughter right after.

"Oh my God, Blaine! You can't expect me to not invite any of my friends who are gay and happen to be good looking."

"I can and you will. I have connections in the Warblers. I can have you kicked off."

Nick sighed and pulled out of the Hummel's driveway.

"Your connections are Wes and David and they are as much your friends as they are mine. They're not going to kick me off because you don't want to see the guy you're crushing on in the arms of another man."

They drove past Kurt's house, where Kurt was still standing and waving at them. Nick honked the horn a few times and both boys waved back; Blaine added a blow-kiss which luckily went unnoticed by Nick. When the Hummel residence was behind them, Blaine slummed against the window. His gelled hair probably stained the glass but he couldn't care less.

"Try to imagine the girl you're insanely in love with dance with another guy, getting romantic with him, being lovely and cute with him…" He said softly. "I'm failing over and over again in telling him how I feel about him. Seeing him fall over another guy would be beyond devastating. I'd literally never forgive myself if Kurt would end up dating someone else."

Nick was tapping the wheel but had stopped the moment Blaine mentioned he really was in love. He supported the relationship between Kurt and Blaine like no other and besides that, he and Blaine had been friends since freshman year. Blaine was like a brother now; he wanted nothing but the best for him, especially after the Sebastian fiasco.

He reached over and gently clapped Blaine on the shoulder.

"I've already invited Donovan. I can't uninvited him without a legitimate excuse. I can however make an effort to keep him and Kurt apart if they happen to cross paths. But to be honest, Kurt likes you man. I know you don't see it, but I do; we all do. So I will help you and I'll get the others to help too. The only condition is that you tell Kurt how you feel."

He expected Blaine to be hesitant or protesting at least. But Blaine actually agreed from where he was leaning against the window.

"You're right. I need to man up. I…I'm going to tell him."


	12. Chapter 11

(Note: Changed rating and contains homophobic language)

* * *

><p>Friday night: sleepover night rolled around and it was already past dinner time. Rachel was waiting on the couch, half following the sitcom her fathers were watching and half focussing on the door. When the bell finally rang, she all but sprinted to the door to welcome her friends. Mercedes was there, and for a change, so was Tina. After she hugged both girls, she looked at the door opening and found, well…no one. Just air and hard pouring rain.<p>

"Where's Kurt?" she asked. They always carpooled to and from sleepovers. It was never decided; it just happened and stayed, because it tended to set the right mood before the sleepovers even started.

"I don't know," Mercedes answered. "Before I left home, I texted him to ask if he was ready. He texted back, saying that I didn't need to pick him up and that he would come later. I did ask him why, but he didn't reply to that."

The girls didn't think much behind it. It was known that Friday was Family Dinner Night at Kurt's, so maybe something was holding him up. They went upstairs to Rachel's room, where they changed into their pyjama's and braided each other's hair. Blaine dropped by pretty much immediately after they reached the room, so called to ask Rachel something about some musical, but left after greeting Mercedes and introducing himself to Tina. ("You just wanted to see if Kurt's here," Rachel had joked)

Over the sound of laughter and giggles they chatted about their boyfriends; the pro's but especially the cons of their boyfriends. Complaining and venting now and then just felt guiltily good. Those conversations changed into rumours; Glee rumours to be specific. Artie, Brittany and Santana were in some sort of love triangle, and everyone but Artie seemed to be aware of it. Quinn was seeing some guy from the swim team, and while Rory seemed to have a major crush on Sugar, the overly hyper rich girl was too boy crazy and had her eyes set on not one, but two boys.

"Did you see poor Rory's puppy eyes when he saw Sugar hitting on that guy from our maths class? I wanted to hug him so much," Rachel cooed as she passed a bowl of chips to Tina.

"Yes," Tina agreed. "It was too adorable despite the fact that it was actually very sad."

She tried to pass the bowl through to Mercedes, but the latter girl declined; she was waiting for her freshly applied nail polish to dry.

"I wonder where Kurt is. It's getting late and it's nothing like him to stay away without notice," she worried out loud.

"He did leave school fairly quickly. And he seemed so absent during Glee," Tina added.

"I know," Rachel exclaimed. "He hasn't fought me for leads lately. He doesn't even feel like doing duets with me at all."

"He lost weight," Mercedes pitched in sadly. "And he's so quiet at school. The only time when he seems himself is when he talks to or about Blaine."

"It's the bullying," Rachel stated firmly. "It has to be. That's why I asked Finn to assemble the boys and-"

In the middle of her sentence, the bell rang. Given the time – it was near 10pm – it could only be one person.

"Must be Kurt," Rachel said, sprinting out of her room and down the stairs with the other two girls on her heels.

"I got it," she yelled at Liam, who emerged to see what the ruckus was all about and who was at their door at this time. Rachel yanked the door open. The relieved mile she was carrying on her face fell right off. Standing on her doorstep was Kurt, and he wasn't okay at all.

The pouring rain had taken down his usually perfect coiffed hair. His clothes were soaked through and through, and despite the fact that it looked like he just stepped from under a shower, it was obvious he had been crying a lot.

All three girls watched horrified as he stepped into the house. He tried to smile at them, but it was a failed effort; he just couldn't.

Rachel wrapped her arms around her friend and hugged him as tightly as her strength allowed.

"I'm getting your pyjama's wet," Kurt mumbled.

"Don't care. Kurt, are you okay?"

It took a while before he finally shook his head.

"Is Blaine home? I really need to talk to him," he asked with a shaky voice.

"Yes. He's upstairs in his room, playing his guitar."

"Would you mind if I go see him first?"

Rachel shook her head and pushed him towards the stairs, though he didn't climb it before hugging both Mercedes and Tina and waving to Rachel's parents. When he was up the stairs, the three girls turned to each other and shared worried thoughts and negative feelings. None of it passed Liam and Bryan unnoticed.

Blaine was strumming his guitar, playing and singing a Coldplay song he'd played a million times before, when a soft knocking sound from his door interrupted his play.

"Come in," he sang, not taking his eyes of his instrument.

The door opened and its squeaky sound was followed by soft, "hey", in the very voice that was always on Blaine's mind. It was for that very reason Blaine's head shot up straight and sported the brightest smile he had, while his heart flipped. It took one look at Kurt for him to shift from being the happiest person in the world to looking absolutely petrified.

"Oh my god, Kurt!"

He threw his guitar carelessly on his bed and leapt of it. At the same time, Kurt moved into the room and met him halfway. Blaine was totally taken aback by the force with which Kurt was clutching on to him, with arms tight around his chest and Kurt's face, cold and wet, in his neck. But neither that, nor Kurt being soaking wet, kept him from wrapping his arms around Kurt's shivering frame.

"It's school again, isn't it?"

Kurt nodded and started sobbing softly. "I was at the lake ever since Glee ended."

Blaine gulped, because he knew now how bad things had to be for Kurt to escape to his secret, sacred hideaway. He hugged him tighter for a minute or two, whispering soothing things at the same time.

"Come on, let's get you out of these wet clothes and then we'll talk."

"Oh damn," Kurt cursed as he withdrew himself from Blaine. His hands buried themselves in his hair in a gush of sheer panic. "I don't have anything with me. I didn't go home at all. I have a bag with extra clothes in my car that I always keep there in case I run out of extra clothes in my locker, but those are only day clothes. I have no nightwear, underwear; my skin and hair products and-"

"Kurt, calm down!"

"But my clothes! I'm a soaking wet mess."

"I'll lend you some of my stuff," Blaine smiled. "You can borrow some clothes to sleep in. I have plenty of new underwear and tooth brushes around. My friends have the annoying habit to just not leave whenever they are over here. It's almost never planned ahead, so they won't have anything on them. I'm always prepared for impromptu sleepovers."

Kurt smiled, making Blaine grin in return. He gently cupped Kurt's cheek and wiped a few water drops that were most likely from the rain, but might as well have been tears. He left him standing there and walked over to his dresser to fetch a t-shirt and pyjama pants, as well as a pair of boxer briefs and a brand new toothbrush. He handed Kurt everything in a neat stack and guided him to the small bathroom attached to and only accessible from his room. It was similar to Rachel's bathroom, which Kurt always avoided - It was coloured in an unhealthy amount of pink.

"Have you eaten anything since you left school?"

"Just an apple and a granola bar I had left over from lunch," Kurt answered softly and as proof, his stomach grumbled loudly.

"Hint taken," Blaine chuckled. "Do you want some dinner? My dad and I made a macaroni pie?"

"Yes please. That sounds ridiculously delicious right now."

"Okay. While you take a shower, I'll go get you dinner. My soap and shampoo are in the shower rack there and you can find skincare products in the cabinet above the sink. Use whatever you need."

Kurt nodded with a happier smile and mouthed, "thank you". Despite the fact that Kurt looked like a miserable mess, Blaine wanted to kiss him desperately. So before he actually did so and made a fool out of himself, he clapped Kurt on the shoulder and fled the bathroom.

On his way downstairs he passed Rachel's room of which the door was halfway opened. He could see the three girls sitting on his sister's bed as they talked sombrely about Kurt. Rachel caught his eye and gave him a hopeful look, as if to ask of he knew more already. He gave her a thumbs down; with their twin-bond communication, it was all they need to do as question and answer. She nodded and let him go on.

Downstairs his parents ambushed him about Kurt as well.

"Is Kurt okay, Blaine? We're worried about him," Bryan said, while his husband held his hand and look at their son with the same concern.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I just got him to take a shower and I'm getting him something to eat right now. We're going to talk later."

"Okay. I'm sure you can handle it, but if you guys need help, just give a call."

Blaine promised to and quickly moved forward to the kitchen. There he whipped up some of the promised macaroni pie, as well as two mugs and a thermos with tea. Something told him Kurt would prefer that much more at the moment than coffee.

He put everything on a tray and went back up to his room. The shower was still running when he returned, and that hit him with a sudden realisation; Kurt was a few feet away, wet and very much naked. Those thoughts went two ways: up to his head - making him blush furiously – and down to his cock; he became instantly hard.

It was far from the first time that he got an erection from thinking about Kurt. It was actually always Kurt's name that spilled over his lips whenever he masturbated lately. Thanks to the same boy that happened _a lot_. However, at those times Kurt was either in Rachel's room or not around at all.

Now Kurt was only behind a door leading directly into his room and he could be finished with showering any minute now. He impossibly could help his problem in the traditional way; with the way Kurt was feeling, it also would be highly inappropriate in more than one way.

As if it were planned, the shower stopped. Panicked, Blaine set the tray on his desk and fled to his bed, grabbing his guitar on the way.

He tried to think of non-sexy thoughts as he mindlessly strummed the snares: his great aunt Madge's sloppy wet cheek kisses, Rachel's animal sweaters and having to perform sexual actions on female body parts. It actually helped until the door of his bathroom opened.

A cloud of hot fog preceded the emerging of a godlike human being. At least that was how Kurt looked to Blaine right now; he completely took his breath away. The Dalton shirt he had given him, fit him far too well and despite the fact that it wasn't skin tight, it still showed of Kurt's slightly muscular upper body. The pyjama bottoms hung low on his hips, showing off a bit of hipbone, and sat very snug around his pretty, little butt. Add damp, tousled hair and Kurt pretty much had sent Blaine into heart-failure.

Blaine pulled the guitar deeper into his lap to hide his very present boner and presented an honest smile to Kurt.

"How do you feel?"

"So much better," Kurt sighed contently. "A hot shower was just what I needed. Thank you."

"For you, always," Blaine answered short and truthfully.

Kurt stared at him for a second and answered him with a little shy smile. Blaine could barely contain himself from adulating all over Kurt's adorableness. So instead he pointed at the tray on his desk.

"That's for you. There's more left, so if you're still hungry, I can go downstairs and get you more."

Kurt nodded and seated himself at the desk. Blaine on his turn lined his guitar up and started playing Katy Perry's Firework, but just hummed to the music. He tried not to look at Kurt too much, because his erection was going down and he wanted to keep it that way.

What he couldn't have prevented from happening was hearing Kurt. The noises that came out of his mouth were…well, simply put, erotic. Kurt literally moaned as he practically inhaled big bites of the macaroni pie and his face showed pure bliss.

"Blaine, this is so delicious," he exclaimed ecstatic. "Did you really make this?"

"Y-y-yes," Blaine squeaked with a high pitched voice. Embarrassment hit him when he realised that he couldn't keep his emotions in control and that his erection was more evidently present than before.

"You're so going to cook for me sometimes," Kurt stated, making it more of demand, rather than a request.

"Sure," Blaine chuckled. "I'd love to."

Kurt froze in his eating. It quite surprised him that Blaine easily jumped into it like that when he was merely joking.

"Okay," he stammered.

Blaine winked at him and continued playing. Kurt watched him in silence as he ate and smiled brightly every time Blaine glanced over at him with his adorable puppy eyes.

You're done eating," Blaine suddenly said, making Kurt look at his plate; it was indeed empty. Kurt couldn't even remember clearing it.

"I guess I am."

"Do you want to talk now? Or do you want more?"

Kurt shook his head as he put his plate back on the tray and grabbed the mugs and thermos.

"It was delicious, but I'm quite full. Talking sounds very appealing right now. Tea?"

Blaine nodded and Kurt started to pour tea for the both of them. Blaine took the advantage of Kurt having his back to him to put his guitar down and flee into his bathroom.

The room was still hot and steamy from the shower Kurt took. The thick foggy air made it difficult to breath. That plus the fact he already spent a lot of energy on dealing with a throbbing erection, put him in anything but a comfortable position.

He lowered his jeans and boxers down to his ankles, grabbed the nearest body lotion he could find and spread it all over his hands, before taking his cock firmly in his hand. He started stroking and pumping himself on a fast tempo as silent as he could be; mostly by biting his shirt he had put between his teeth. He tried to be quick of course; Kurt was waiting for him after all.

His eyes fell on the shower. The image of Kurt standing there naked with water running over his smooth, pale body flashed before his eyes; it was just that extra edge he needed to give him the release he longed for. Kurt's name rolled over his lips in a strained whisper, followed by inaudible repeats of the same name.

"What are you doing to me, sweetheart," he mumbled, as he quickly cleaned himself up and changed into a pair of shorts he had laying in there. He also exchanged shirts, threw his day clothes in the hamper and left the bathroom.

He felt rather ashamed for what he did while Kurt was waiting right there, needing him more than anything. His guilt trip enlarged when he saw him on his bed, curled up into a little ball.

"Oh Kurt," he thought. "I wish I could give you the world right now."

"That'd be nice, but all I want is for my bullies to disappear."

"Did I say that out loud," Blaine asked a little embarrassed.

"Yes," Kurt answered softly with a little smile on his face. "Don't worry. I thought it was cute. I don't hear that a lot; or at all."

Blaine frowned as he walked towards his bed and climbed on it to lie down next to Kurt. Kurt smiled brighter when Blaine turned on his side to face him and even more when Blaine put a protective arm around him.

"Well, you totally should, because you deserve the world. No, you deserve the whole universe," Blaine stated. His heart fluttered when Kurt bashfully looked away and scooted closer. Kurt didn't seem to mind. He actually seemed to enjoy it, and appeared to relax when Blaine lay back so he could rest his head on Blaine's shoulder.

"What happened?" Blaine asked then, nuzzling his nose into the brown strands of hair tickling his jaw and cheek. "Did they hurt you again?"

"Surprisingly, no," Kurt sighed. His hand toyed with the soft fabric of Blaine's t-shirt, right over the spot where Blaine's heart was. Despite the fact that he felt anxious and sombre, the feeling of Blaine's thumping heart was very soothing and it was a welcomed feeling.

"I don't know why, but this morning the boys from my Glee club decided to openly step up for me against the jocks. They confronted them and told them to stop bullying me."

"Kurt, that's amazing!" Blaine exclaimed enthusiastically, hugging Kurt and pumped a fist into the air. But he slowly back down when he saw that Kurt was still sad; even sadder maybe. "What's wrong? This is good right?"

"It is. It really is. It's only what I've been hoping would ever happen."

"But?"

"It escalated sickly fast and there was a huge fight. Karofsky – Blaine cringed internally at the name. He hated David Karofsky with a passion after all the stories Kurt had told him. He usually didn't judge people he'd never met, but Karofsky was the biggest exception possible – slammed Mike, who fell on top of Artie, who fell out of his wheelchair. Mike sprained his ankle because of it. He's a dancer; dancing is his life and now he can't do it. Artie got really nasty bruises from the fall. Sam and Finn attacked right after that and that ended in a huge brawl. They got a few punches in, but Sam got a black eye out of it, Finn a split lip and a bloody nose and Noah's got quite a few bruises too."

Kurt bit back his tears, and took a deep breath. He pressed his face deeper into Blaine shoulder, seeking warmth and security. A choked sob passed his lips. It lead to Blaine tightening the arm he had around him and that gave him the extra push to continue talking without crying too much.

"There's Rory. They pick on him a lot to begin with. He wasn't even present during the argument and fight but they pushed him in and against lockers at least three times as much as they usually do. Just because he talked to me; he just wanted to ask me something about a Glee assignment. Some guys from the football team got injured too and they're all blaming me, so everyone who hangs with me, gets plagued by them too."

"Oh Kurt, you know you're not to blame."

"Of course I am!" Kurt yelled furiously as he flew up. Blaine followed his lead to try and calm him down again, but Kurt was having none of it. He slapped away the hand Blaine ran over his arm. The encouraging words from the other boy just caused him to cry angry tears. Not directed at Blaine but at everyone in school who every wronged him for being himself.

"The boys went after the jocks because of me; because of who I am. If it wasn't for me, there wouldn't have been a fight. No one would've gotten hurt or bullied and-"

"Shut up, Kurt! Shut up! Shut up! Do you even know what you're saying?" Blaine yelled back. He grabbed Kurt by the shoulders, not caring if Kurt was trying to wiggle out of his grasp, and shook him hard as if he literally was trying to shake some sense into him.

"I know exactly what I'm saying, thank you very much," Kurt spat. He managed to shove Blaine away from him. With a huff he got up from the bed and paced through the room, his eyes voiding Blaine's at all cost. Blaine was having none of it and chased him, making Kurt back up until he was trapped between the door and Blaine himself. Blaine slammed his hands against the door, each on one side of Kurt's head, and look at him in rage.

"You don't know what you are saying. Because what you are saying is that it is entirely my fault that Rachel cried years over my pain."

"No I-"

"What you are saying, is that it is my fault that my parents stressed every single day of my senior year in middle school."

"No, no."

"What you're saying, is that it is my fault Rachel feels so lonely while I'm at Dalton."

"Blaine, please stop. I didn't-"

"What you're saying, is that it is my fault the boys at Dalton had to spend so many time on making me feel at ease and help me forget everything that happened."

"Stop it!" Kurt screeched now. With every accusation, he sobbed and cried harder. More tears streamed over his pale cheeks. "That's not what I said."

"You did so, Kurt," Blaine hissed back. He was crying now too, and that hurt Kurt. It hurt them both.

"According to what you just said, all those things were my fault; that if it wasn't for me, all those things wouldn't have happened."

Kurt just shook as head as he cried louder. Blaine deeply sighed, fisted Kurt's shirt and yanked him against his own body. The other boy instantly wrapped his arms around him and buried his wet face into his neck. Blaine cradled his head with one arm and clutched his shirt with the other. He tried to cease his own tears but failed overall.

"I'm sorry," Kurt cried. "I'm so sorry."

"I know you are and I know you didn't actually mean it like that. But it hurts hearing you talk like that Kurt," Blaine answered with a raspy voice. His sharp inhales and shaky exhales were reminiscing of the first time he cried in front of Kurt. Only this time Kurt himself was the cause of his tears and it was beyond unsettling for him.

"You and I, we're supposed to be proud; proud of whom we are. It's what keeps us above all those homophobic assholes."

"I know," Kurt whispered hoarsely.

"Your friends, they knew what they got into. From what you've been telling me about your school, you Glee members always seem to be under attack by those jocks. There would've been a fight whether they were defending you, or any other member. I agree that it sucks to see people get hurt, but it's not your fault that those jocks refuse to respect who you are."

Kurt nodded from where his face was still hidden in Blaine's neck. Blaine, who'd noticeably calmed down already, affectionately stroked his back hand and made sweet soothing sound. He gently coaxed them back to the bed, which wasn't easy with Kurt being unwilling to let go of him. It made Blaine feel bad for prying him off, but he needed a second to be able to lie down on the bed. Kurt jumped in right after him and curled up deep into Blaine's side. Blaine only smiled and draped his duvet over the both of them.

"Want me to tell you a little story? Somewhere last year, I went to see a movie with a bunch of Warblers. When it ended, we decided to grab a milkshake before heading back to school, and we ran in two guys from my old school. They were two of my main bullies in middle school, who even knocked me into the hospital. I've told you that before.

"So these guys saw us and started mocking us in general for being prep school boys and looking like fags in our uniforms. Then one of them recognised me and they both came on to me, saying that besides being a filthy homo, I was also a coward and a wimp, and that they were glad I was no longer at their school to stare at their junk. David and Nick jumped in there and started defending me. Wes and Jeff stood by me to protect me and even Trent's boyfriend, Matt, and a few other Warblers had gone against those guys.

"A fight broke out. It ended quickly because the mall security was present in record time. Everyone who had fought had gotten a temporary ban from the mall. Some had received seriously blows. Just like your friend Mike can't dance now, David couldn't play soccer or do the Warblers' routines for a few weeks. I felt so bad about everything. Guilty, because I thought it was all my fault. But all the boys made it clear that they came up for me because I was their friend, and they cared a lot about me. They would do it again without batting an eye."

A moment of silence fell in which Blaine glancing down to the boy in his arms. He swallowed deeply; any story from his past was hard to tell and they still bothered him when he did tell them. Kurt was looking right back at him with a painful yet caring flicker in his eyes, and stuck a hand out to stroke his cheek.

"That's so awful," Kurt croaked. "From those guys I mean. Your friends are fantastic."

"I know, and I never take them for granted. Your friends are great as well though. Please see that, Kurt. They may not be as vocal or physical about as mine, but by standing up for you the way they did; they prove that they do very much care for you. They wouldn't have lifted a finger if they didn't."

Kurt turned more towards Blaine, leaning his head deeper against Blaine's shoulder and wrapping his arm tighter around his chest. He couldn't oppress a smile.

"I know they care. It's just hard to see them get hurt."

When Blaine hummed in agreement, Kurt shifted again and looked upwards from here he was lying against his best friend.

"How about you? Would you take a punch for me?" he whispered teasingly.

"I'd take a bullet for you, Kurt. Hell, I'd even catch a gren-"

"Blaine Berry-Anderson, if you say grenade and start singing the song, I swear to my Alexander McQueen collection our friendship will end right here and now!"

"No!" Blaine yelled and laughed out loud. He coiled his arm around his friend and dramatically clung to Kurt's shirt. Kurt giggled and tried to push him off, but that made Blaine only wail and hold on even more. Eventually Blaine relaxed and leaned his head against Kurt's. His heart leapt when Kurt looked up because of it; looking into those yes always did major things to his feelings.

"Can I sing to you, Blue?" He chuckled when Kurt frowned and opened his mouth to protest. "Not Grenade. I promise. When those guys harassed me and the boys fought for me, they sang Bridge over Troubled Water to me afterwards. I want to sing something else to you, because we both know we're always there for each other, no matter what. I don't need a song to tell you _that_."

Kurt nodded and stroked Blaine's chest, as to give him an okay. Blaine took a deep breath and started singing.

_Made a wrong turn, once or twice  
>Dug my way out, blood and fire<br>Bad decisions, that's alright  
>Welcome to my silly life<br>_  
>Kurt instantly recognised the song. It choked him up because some of the lyrics hit home, and they did every time he heard the song. With eyes shut tight, he listened to the words in Blaine's soothing voice.<p>

_Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood.  
>Miss 'No way, it's all good', it didn't slow me down.<br>Mistaken, always second guessing, underestimated.  
>Look, I'm still around<em>.

He bit away the urge to cry, but ended up failing. The tears crept slowly of his cheeks, accompanied by soft sobs. When Blaine reached the chorus, he cupped his cheek and nudged his face up again; practically forcing him to look him straight in the eyes

_Pretty, pretty please don't you ever, ever feel  
>Like you're less then, fucking perfect<br>Pretty, pretty please if you ever, ever feel  
>Like you're nothing you're fucking perfect, to me<em>

The passion and sincerity he found in those honey-coloured beauties, sent shivers through his spine. Hadn't he fallen for Blaine long ago, he surely would've now. Blaine sung with extra emphasises to every 'you' and 'fucking perfect'. It was impossible not to notice – not even for Kurt – that Blaine actually meant every word when applied to Kurt.

_You're so mean when you talk about yourself; you were wrong.  
>Change the voices in your head; make them like you instead.<br>So complicated, look happy, you'll make it  
>Filled with so much hatred, such a tired game.<br>It's enough; I've done all I can think of.  
>Chased down all my demons, I'll see you do the same<em>

Kurt could hear the hurt in Blaine's voice when he sang those words. That stung him as well. No wonder; they fought about exactly that less than ten minutes ago. They'd talked about it merely two days ago at the lake. This was almost a plea; a plea to Kurt to finally believe him. To be as proud of himself as Blaine was of him. He slid his fingers over Blaine's hand still resting on his face and slipped them between his, tangling and squeezing their fingers together. Blaine gave him a teary smile; he returned it.

Blaine proceeded to sing the song. When he reached the chorus again, Kurt joined him. He was taken aback for a split second, then easily shifted into harmony mode. As it was drilled into him, being the experienced Warbler that he was, he dropped his pitch and made sure his voice flowed smoothly alongside Kurt's. The two of them sounded as great together as they always did. The raspy edge in Kurt's voice, caused by his crying, actually made it sound more interesting.

They laughed and stumbled their way through the rap, before falling back into the final chorus. They finished the song on the same note, while staring deeply in each other's eyes, surrounded by dead silence. Kurt smiled thoughtfully and moved deeper into the space between Blaine's shoulder and neck, while he whispered thank you to him.

"What's on your mind?" Blaine asked, as he brushed a few strands out of Kurt's face.

"It's the first time I've heard you sing," Kurt replied dreamily.

"No it isn't," Blaine frowned. "You've heard me sing plenty of times. Those times we did karaoke with girls or when we sing along with musicals. And you always comment when I sing or hum during our Skype chats and -"

"I know, Blaine. But that's not what I meant. I've never heard you sing like this. So open, fragile. So full emotion; it was frighteningly good. I understand now why the Warblers always have you lead."

Blaine grinned, feeling shy yet flattered.

"Thanks. You sounded amazing too. Who knew the fabulous Kurt Hummel could rap."

Kurt blushed and lightly smacked Blaine's arm.

"Will you sing me another song, B? I really like Bridge over Troubled Water. Mercedes once sung that to me when she took me to her church."

Blaine – of course – could not resist such a request and sang the Simon & Garfunkel classic to his crush, making sure he laid every bit of feeling into it like with the first song. When he was done with it, he found Kurt dozing off to sleep. He sighed and connected his lips to Kurt's forehead.

"Goodnight, Blue."

"G'night, B," Kurt mumbled back sleepily.

Blaine figured that somewhere this night, he'd either have to move to the guest room or ask his parents to help him move the mattress from the bed in there, to his room – it isn't necessarily heavy but very impractical to move on his own. Whenever his friends stay over, they need three to move it – but for now, he wouldn't move a single inch away from Kurt.

He stared absent-mindedly to the ceiling, humming Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars, while stroking Kurt's back at the same time. Near the end of the song, he was convinced Kurt was fully asleep.

A few soft knocks came from the door. He didn't answer it, but the door still opened and his sister's head popped through the opening.

"Hey sis," he greeted her. That was enough for Rachel to know she could enter. She opened the door further and shuffled her way to the bed. She plopped down next to Kurt, placed her hand on the sleeping form of her friends, and it was now that Blaine could truly see how worried she was. A spitting image of their surrogate mother, he thought.

Some movement in the corner of his eyes caught his intention, and it was then when he noticed Tina and Mercedes lingering in the threshold.

"Please come in, ladies. I don't bite."

Tina threw Mercedes an incredulous look, which Mercedes met with a grin.

"He's always that polite," Blaine heard her whisper. "It's like he's from another time."

The girls sat down on the edge of his bed and Rachel took advantage of the moment of silence to speak.

"Is everything okay with Kurt? We wanted to give you time to talk, but then we heard you guys screaming at each other."

"And singing," Tina added. "It sounded marvellous."

Blaine wanted to reply with, "Kurt is marvellous," but managed to keep his lip. He was fairly sure Rachel knew he wanted to say that, judging the eyebrow she raised.

"Kurt and I had a falling-out. But we solved it already, hence the singing."

"A falling-out? You two?" Rachel asked astonished.

"Yes, Kurt was…speaking badly about himself and I didn't like it. He told me how the boys from your Glee club fought with other guys and got hurt because of him. Sprained ankles, bloody lips and noses and stuff and he's taken the guilt for all of it on him."

"Oh my god!" Rachel gasped, clasping both of her hands over her mouth. "That was sort of my fault. I rallied all the Glee girls with boyfriends to urge their significant others to talk to the bullies. It's obvious they go after Kurt more than after any other of us and he suffers so much. I never intended for a fight to break out, but the boys have no regrets. They all said so when we talked about it."

"When did you guys talk about it?" Blaine asked; his head snapped up from where he was studying Kurt's facial features.

"Right after Glee club," Mercedes answered. "Kurt left as soon as Mr. Shuester called practise to an end."

"If he stayed and listened, he wouldn't have felt the way he does," Tina said sadly. She reached over and stroked Kurt's leg in a motherly way. "It's not all that bad though. The guy, who sprained his ankle, is my boyfriend. We went to the emergency room after school. It wasn't that bad. They wrapped his ankle and he needs to cool and rest it, but he should be on his feet in a week or two."

"Yes, and the other guys are pretty tough too. They're confined to ice packs for the rest of the day, but they're fine," Mercedes filled on. "Poor baby," she sighed and took Kurt's hand in hers.

"We need to sit down with him tomorrow and have this conversation again," Rachel concluded. "But for now, I think we should stop. It feels rather wrong and uncomfortable to me to talk about him with him sleeping right here."

Blaine nodded in agreement and cradled Kurt's body further into his arms. The girls exchanged knowingly smirks, but said nothing about the over-obvious love Blaine was showing for their friend.

"Do you guy have plans for tomorrow?" Blaine asked in general.

"Not really. We thought about going for lunch and then hanging at mall or seeing a movie," Rachel shrugged. "Why?"

"Can we have a bake-a-thon instead?"

"A bake-a-thon?" Tina asked confused.

"It's something we and our parents have been doing for years," Rachel explained. "We stock up on ingredients and spend the entire day baking pies, cupcakes, macaroons, pancakes, waffles, all kinds of cookies, scones, bread and what not more. Usually we sing a lot and eat up a lot of cookie dough. It's a lot of fun."

"Exactly, sis. Kurt has told me he likes to bake as stress-relief and he could use the distraction."

"A bake-a-thon it is then," Mercedes smiled.

"Yay! I'll ask Dad and Pa for some money and we'll go grocery shopping in the morning. It'll be so much fun," Rachel squealed excitedly. She bent down and kissed Kurt on his temple, before leaning over him to peck Blaine on his cheek. Mercedes and Tina both kissed Kurt on his cheek and hugged Blaine goodnight, and all three of them sneaked out of the room.

Shorty after the girls left, there was somebody knocking on Blaine's door again. This time his parents stepped into the room; both of them wore a grave, worried frown on their face. It made them look so much older than they actually were. It reminded Blaine of the days they looked like that on a daily basis, caused by the endless period of time he was bullied in and having to watch their child suffer.

"Hey kiddo," Bryan said softly. He sat down next to his son, while his husband sat next to Kurt.

"Did you guys talk? Do you know what happened?" Liam asked concerned.

"It's that school," Blaine hissed furiously. "Rachel has it bad, but Kurt has it so much worse just because he's gay. This is the second time this week he's come to me in tears. He shares so many awful stories with me and they're getting worse. It's breaking him."

He looked up to Bryan with watery eyes and then to Liam. He was unable to talk anymore.

"It's killing you to see him hurting," Bryan said for him, and brushed a hand through his son's hair.

"Exactly." It came out of Blaine's mouth as a soft broken whisper. At the moment he wanted nothing more than to crawl into one of his fathers' arms to catch the warmth and safety he always felt as a fourteen year-old boy. But there was no way in hell he was letting go of Kurt right now.

He chose to turn to Kurt, tugging his sleeping friend just that little bit closer and nuzzling his nose a bit deeper into his soft hair. Kurt unconsciously moved the hand that was resting between them and laid it around Blaine's waist. Blaine gasped when he felt it, then blushed because he was having insanely inappropriate thoughts around his parents. However neither dad noticed anything about what might be going on in Blaine's head; Bryan was too busy cooing over how adorable the boys were being and Liam playfully rolled his eyes at his husband.

Suddenly Kurt squirmed, frowned deeply and twitched weirdly. A long, soft cry came out of his mouth, as well as the words 'no' and 'stop', and he twitched even more. Blaine reacted quickly by rubbing over his back and whispering some soothing things into his ear. Kurt calmed down and just rested again against Blaine

"Blaine, do his parents know about anything that goes on at McKinley?" Liam asked after he witnessed it all go down. Blaine thought well about it and shook his head.

"I don't know. Now that I think about it, we've never discussed his parents. I don't think they know though."

"Do they accept him?" Bryan asked curiously.

"Not any less than you accept me."

"Well then we just have to figure out in the morning if his parents know and why if they don't. We'll let you sleep now. You seem to need it just as much as Kurt."

"Can you help me drag the mattress of the bed in the guest room in here?" Blaine yawned, confirming he was indeed tired. Liam and Bryan exchanged a look, nodded to each other and turned to Blaine.

"You can stay with him," Liam smiled.

"What!" Blaine gasped dumbstruck. Did his parents just give him an approval for sharing his bed with another gay boy? One they are most likely aware of he has a lot of feelings for.

"Look what just happened. If he's anything like you, that was a definite guarantee for nightmares. He's going to need you if that's indeed the case," Bryan explained.

"We trust the both of you not to pull any shenanigans. And do realise that no matter how much we like Kurt, you two sleeping in one bed is not going to be a regular thing," Liam added sternly.

Blaine chuckled but nodded at his dads. He yawned again; it wasn't even midnight yet, but the rush of various emotions had drained him. His parents took the hint and got up from his bed.

"In the morning, we'd really like to talk to Kurt. You can join if you want to. Kurt might need you as moral support," Liam said.

Blaine nodded again and snuggled deeper under the covers, moulding his body against Kurt's. Both men gave their son a goodnight kiss and left hand in hand. Before they were well out of the room, Blaine had already closed his eyes. Bryan shut off the lights and closed the door behind him.

"How much do you want to bet those two are going to end up together?" his husband beamed as soon as he turned around.

"I'm not going to bet you on that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'll lose if I bet against it," Bryan winked. He kissed his husband full on the lips and dragged him to their bedroom at the end of the hall.

* * *

><p><strong>Hi guys. I'm so sorry for taking so long. I've been kinda busy and trying to divide my time between a lot of things. This chapter was also so much longer than I expected (longest chapter by far) and I couldn't find a logic break in it to post the chapter in two parts. This chapter is also the last finished chapter I had on paper, so I have to see how it goes from here. Thank you to all of you who've read and commented and happy holidays to you all!<strong>


	13. Chapter 12 part 1

**Happy birthday Darren!**

* * *

><p>When Blaine opened his eyes, the morning had already set in. Sunlight crept through the split between his curtains. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and brushed a hand through his tangled curls, discovering he was strangely prevented from stretching out his body. There was quite some weight atop of him.<p>

He gazed down and was met with a bush of brown hair; his best friend was splayed all over his chest, clinging to him like a little kid to a stuffed animal.

He could've sworn Kurt had turned away from him after his last nightmare attack. He had woken up three times to find Kurt crying and whimpering in his sleep. Not to mention that he trashed and struggled a whole lot. Blaine was positive there were quite the amount of bruises on his legs from all the kicking Kurt had done.

Still he smiled brightly as only a fool in love could.

It wasn't the first time he had woken up next to another guy – his friends had no problem sleeping next to him. They actually frequently fought over who got to take the empty space in his comfortable bed – but it was definitely the first time he had woken up tangled and snuggled up with another guy. And it was the one guy he was in love with too. It was one of those moments that made one want to belt out the first few lines of Bohemian Rhapsody.

He laid there for a while; lazily stroking Kurt's back and watching him sleep peacefully, despite the creepy Edward Cullen feeling it gave him.

Suddenly Kurt began to stir on his chest. He smacked his lips, moved his legs – which were laced with Blaine's – and finally opened his eyes. He seemed quite confused, until he shifted his head upwards. His eyes twinkled as he smiled sleepily at Blaine.

"Hi," he whispered hoarsely.

"Hey you," Blaine whispered back. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you too. How'd you sleep?"

"Okay. More importantly, how did _you _sleep?"

Kurt frowned at the nature and tone of the question, and ended up sighing, "I had nightmares again, didn't I?"

Blaine nodded.

"You don't remember?"

Kurt shook his head.

"If they wake me up, I do. But else, not always."

"My legs remember," Blaine snickered teasingly.

"Oh my God," Kurt gasped horrified. "Did I kick you? I'm so sorry!"

"Blue, I'm fine. Don't worry," Blaine reassured him. He lazily stroked Kurt's hair. Kurt hummed satisfied and rolled a bit on his stomach, so he could look at Blaine without straining his neck too much.

"My parents want to talk with you."

"I didn't get you in problems by falling asleep here, right? I totally take full blame and-"

"Kurt, stop! Don't worry, they gave an approval. It's not about that, it's about the situation you're in with school and bullying. They're going to try and help you."

"Really?" Kurt breathed. Blaine nodded to which Kurt replied with a sigh of relief. Kurt rested his head on Blain's chest again. They talked softly about some random things; like Blaine's dreams (he was at an amusement park with a cute guy. They went in all kinds of scary rides and the cute guy always held his hand - Yes, Kurt was the cute guy, but he didn't need to know that.)

The talked about the songs they sung last night and other songs they liked. They talked about Dalton, and they chatted about the positive sides of McKinley. Nothing bad was brought up; not from the night before, not from ever. They were having a good morning so far, there was no need to spoil it.

"We should go downstairs," Blaine suggested after a while. Madonna's Vogue was echoing through the house, so he knew his parents were awake already. He was really curious to what they had to say to Kurt.

"Don't want to yet," Kurt pouted. He rolled away from Blaine, turning his back to him. Blaine kicked the duvet of him and jump atop of Kurt, who let out a few high pitched giggles. His hands disappeared under the t-shirt Kurt was wearing and tickled the boy in his sides.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Kurt shouted, as he squirmed under Blaine.

"Then let's go!" Blaine smirked, fingers on hold but ready to tickle again in case Kurt said no.

"Can I at least brush my teeth first?"

" Yeah sure," Blaine sighed.

"And a shower?"

"You're pushing me Hummel!" he growled, but Kurt pouted those pink lips. And those eyes, they could convince him to commit a murder. He got off Kurt and the bed and scooped his friend without any warning into his arms. Kurt squeaked adorably when Blaine lifted him into the air, and held his arms tightly around Blaine as he carried him to the bathroom.

He put Kurt on his feet by the sink both, laughing when Kurt playfully hit his arm. Both of them grabbed their toothbrush, and reached for the toothpaste at same time. Their hands brushed against each other, causing them both to pull back; which was absolutely crazy, they both figured. They have held hands so many times. They even hold hands when they're just sitting together; whether they're at home, the Lima Bean, or the mall, despite judging looks. This shouldn't be this awkward!

So Blaine took the initiative to take the tube, and handed it over to Kurt.

"Here you go first," he smiled, making sure his fingers touched the soft skin of Kurt's hands.

"Thanks," Kurt giggled back.

They brushed their teeth while exchanging rather flirty glances, and giving each other teasing pushes. They finished around the same time, but Blaine was faster and moved to stand behind Kurt.

"Where are your car keys?" He had wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist and had rested his chin on Kurt's shoulder, so he could look at him via the mirror.

"Why do you need my car keys?" Kurt asked him confused after he spit out the last bits of toothpaste out of his mouth.

"I'm going to get the bag with extra clothes you keep in your trunk," Blaine shrugged casually.

"You don't have to do that. I'll get them later and change clothes then," Kurt cooed, running his hands over Blaine's.

"Kurt, where are your car keys?" Blaine demanded with a low growl; completely ignoring Kurt's proposal.

"Blaine…"

"Kurt! Car keys! Where?"

Kurt sighed, but caved in."

"Left breast pocket of my coat."

"Nice! Be right back," Blaine chirped. Before Kurt could worm in another word, Blaine was gone. He used the moment alone to finally and fully freak out over the fact that he had slept next to Blaine and had woken up all tangled up with him. Those sleepy hazel eyes, that bed hair and that little, cute grin being the first thing he saw in the morning, did things to his feelings he didn't know were possible. He would do about anything just to see that image again, if only for once.

Apparently his daydreaming took up a lot of time, because Blaine was back in no time with Kurt's sport bag strapped on his shoulder.

"Thank you. You are a sweetheart. Stubborn, but sweet," Kurt laughed, adding a little peck on Blaine's cheek.

Blaine merely smiled and handed Kurt his bag.

"Do you have any clothes in there you don't mind getting dirty?"

"Why?"

"Well, I talked to the girls last night and we decided on having a bake-a-thon today. I don't know about you, but I always manage to get batter and flour on me. So if you want to, I could give you a shirt of mine."

Kurt's face lit up at the mention of a bake-a-thon and then softened when Blaine offered to save his clothing. The clothes in his bag certainly weren't his favourites - hence why they were in the bag all the time – and he usually was very neat during cooking and baking. But why would he pass up on wearing Blaine's clothes? He was still wearing Blaine's t-shirt and sweats and they smelled so much like him. He had actually planned on coming up with an excuse to keep them on; that wasn't necessary anymore.

"That would be wonderful," he grinned excitedly.

"Okay," Blaine replied. "Give me a second."

He disappeared out of the bathroom, only to reappear with a black v-neck shirt and a Dalton Academy hoodie.

"In case you get cold," he explained. "I'm going downstairs to let my dads know we're awake and that you're coming. You go and take a shower, okay?"

Blaine got himself an armful of Kurt as answer. The taller boy hugged him tightly, as he himself blinked in surprise. His mind didn't quite process what was going on.

"You're the best friend ever, B. I can't express it enough!"

"You're welcome," Blaine smiled sadly, buried his face deep into Kurt's neck to prevent him from seeing his broken face. They held each other a bit before Blaine pushed him back into the room with a fake grin plastered on his face. He left right after; a sigh spilled over his lips while the words 'best friend' repeated themselves once again in his head.

When Blaine entered the kitchen, he walked in on Bryan dipping Liam to 'Here Comes the Sun' from the Beatles and going in for a quick kiss. Both men sung loudly along, riding high on a cloud of love for their husband.

"Good morning," Blaine croaked awkwardly. The two older men greeted cheerily back, while Liam grabbed him and twirled him. Blaine shook his head with a snicker as he was passed on to his other father, who twirled him right back.

"Where's Kurt?" Liam asked. He stopped his giggling son from spinning around the room and guided him to one of the stool at the kitchen island, so he wouldn't tip over from dizziness.

"In the shower. He'll come down to talk when he's done. He's glad, but very nervous. He never had an adult really do something for him. I think he'll be happy with every bit of help you can give him."

"And we're glad to help him as much as we can," Bryan said, as he patted his son shoulder. "But tell me buddy, what's up with you? You look very shaken up."

Liam, who placed a cup and the coffee pot in front of Blaine, nodded in agreement, and casted a concerned gaze upon him. Blaine looked back and forth between is parents. He sighed heavily and let his shoulders drop down.

"I am," he admitted softly. "Waking up today was…intense."

"Because of Kurt," Liam asked.

Blaine gulped and stared straight ahead; the events of merely half an hour ago, replayed vividly in front of his eyes.

"He was just lying next to me. Then he woke up and as soon as he looked at me with those blue eyes, I was gone. I was completely gone. It surprised me I could talk to him normally, because I could barely think. I only knew that I wanted to wake up like that every day for the rest of my life. Kurt, he…he…he is everything."

Bryan walked over to his son and wrapped his arms around him. Blaine wasn't necessarily crying, but he was definitely tearing up and leaned against his father with a muffled sob.

"We know, honey. We know," Bryan whispered, as he started to stroke Blaine's springy curls.

"How?" Blaine wondered out loud.

"If the way you held him last night wasn't an indication, than the way you look at him certainly is. It's like he's the most beautiful person you've ever seen; like he's the most precious thing on earth. It's like the way your father and I have been looking at each other for the past twenty-four years."

Blaine grinned through his tears and ducked his head away behind his hands, trying to hide the fact that his cheeks were as red as tomatoes. His parents laughed, while Bryan released Blaine in favour to hug his husband from behind. Liam quickly whipped his head back to capture Bryan's lips in a sweet kiss, before they directed their attention to Blaine again.

"Ahw, Lee, our baby is on love!"

"I'm not that bad," Blaine mumbled.

"Yes you are," Liam teased amused.

"You guys suck!" Blaine groaned. However, after a little bit of pushing from his fathers, he confessed to being very much in love and told them about when he knew; how Rachel knew and how he refused to confirm anything to her. He ended up spilling how much he wanted to ask Kurt out, but got down every time the best friend stamp got jammed on him; how his friends loved Kurt and the many times he tried and fail to kiss him.

Liam and Bryan watched him as he was a romantic comedy playing on TV, and patiently let him catch his breath whenever he needed to. When Blain ended up all the way to the moment where he left Kurt in the bathroom, Liam stepped around the kitchen island and hugged his son.

"That's quite the story, kiddo. I'm not going to push you to anything, but know we totally approve of him if you do manage to ask him out; which you totally should do. Best friends fall in love too. Sometimes those relationships are even better because you know each other so well already, and there'll be more depth to your relationship because of it."

Bryan reached over the counter and took Blaine's hand in his.

"Just go for it. You'll never know of it'll work, unless you try it. Diving into a relationship for the first time is scary, but it can be so worth it."

"Kurt won't be my first boyfriend," Blaine frowned. He gasped and clasped his hand over his mouth when he realised he'd just revealed the existence of a boy Blaine never wanted his parents to know about. He knew he had some serious explaining to do when he saw his parents exchange stunned glances.

"What do you mean, Blaine?" Liam asked suspiciously.

"I've already had a boyfriend before," Blaine mumbled softly and embarrassed. He didn't want to say more, but his parents clearly expectantly waited for more. So he rambled as fast as he could, "his name is Sebastian. He goes to Dalton with me. We dated almost two years ago and he's a senior now."

"How come we've never heard of him? You always tell us everything!" Liam demanded, with a strong hint of disappointment in his voice. Blaine heard it and curled up.

"When we started dating, he begged me not to tell anybody under the pretence of it being a new relationship. I thought I could surprise you guys by bringing him home some day, but we broke up before we even hit one month. I was so hurt and humiliated, that I never spoke about him after we were through," he told bitterly.

"Why were you humiliated, baby?" Bryan asked concerned.

As answer, Blaine poured out the same story Rachel told Kurt, involving the vicious Sebastian Smythe and model-wannabe Jeremiah van der Berg. Liam and Bryan ended up shocked beyond believe. Just the fact that they never noticed that Blaine had gone through this without them noticing anything, made both men feel ashamed for calling themselves parents. It was something that was obviously still bothering Blaine; his face said more than enough. The way his fingers were clutching around his coffee cup in order to contain his anger said even more.

Liam carefully pried the cup from his son's fingers and slipped his own hand in its place. The encouraging squeeze he gave him, caused Blaine to hold his breath for a brief second, before he slowly breathed out; trying to regain his calm. He was about to slum against Liam, when a soft hesitant voice spoke.

"Hi, good morning."

Blaine's head snapped up and turned so fast, that he nearly gave himself a whiplash. But all it took was one look for Kurt to stride over and wrap Blaine in his arms. Liam gently tapped Kurt's shoulder, leaning towards him at the same time.

"We're going to sit at the dining table. Take your time, have something to eat and drink. You know where everything is."

Kurt nodded and watched the two men leave hand in hand, not missing the troubled frowns they carried.

"What happened?" he asked as soon they were alone.

"I accidentally mentioned Sebas…taboo. That thing you and I agreed was taboo. And they asked me about him and I told them the short version of everything that happened; which is basically everything you know too."

"Oh honey," Kurt pouted, hugging Blaine a little bit closer. If the situation wasn't as sad as it was, he'd probably internally freaked over Blaine burying his face so deep into his neck, that he could feel his hot breath and warm lips on his most sensitive skin. It all disappeared so quickly though, because Blaine realised what he was doing. They may have an unspoken rule of being allowed to invade each other's personal space at any given time, but neither of them had the right mindset for such contact.

"I'm sorry. I'm making this about me and my dated issues. We're supposed to be spending attention to you," Blaine sobbed with a chuckle.

"Don't say that, B," Kurt huffed sternly. "You're still bothered by what happened back then. So you deserve someone looking after you too. Your problems aren't inferior to mine, nor are mine to yours. We're going to have breakfast and talk to your parents about what's happened to the both of us, and then we'll have the entire afternoon for the bake-a-thon.

"You're so amazing," Blaine mumbled.

"What?" Kurt asked confused. The mumbling was a little bit too incomprehensible.

"I'm so excited!" Blaine said now, much more clearly. He sat up straight on the stool, giving Kurt the opportunity to move and thus to move between Blaine's legs. He let his back rest against the arm Blaine still had around him, and hung his arms loosely around Blaine's neck.

"I am too," Kurt smiled. "Thanks again for the clothes by the way."

Blaine only took notice of Kurt in his clothes and wow, he was definitely going to suggest activities, for which Kurt needed to borrow his clothes more often now; because damn, Kurt look capitol-H hot.

"You're welcome," he managed to croak. His mouth went dry when he felt Kurt's fingers slide into his free curls and warm lips connected to his cheek, dangerously close to his lips.

"We should eat," he stuttered as he hastily jumped up, almost knocking Kurt against the counter. If he hurt him, he wouldn't have known, because Kurt simply smiled and took his spot on the stool. "What would you like? I'm making breakfast."

"What do you have, kind sir?"

"Well," Blaine said as he walked around the counter and stood opposite of Kurt. He leaned over it and gave Kurt a teasing smirk. "I can make cereal."

Kurt giggled loudly, which made it hard for Blaine to keep a straight face.

"Oh hush, you. As I said, I can make cereal. Sandwiches. Not the fancy kind you find in stores and cafés, but they're certainly edible. I can bake pancakes and waffles, although we're already going to bake so much later. And I can make a damn good grilled cheese and an even better Croque-monsieur, if I say so myself."

Then he leaned over even closer, while motioning to Kurt to do the same. He went as far as to stand on his toes so he could whisper Kurt in his ear.

"Don't tell the boys at Dalton, but if we have the dough for it, I can make some delicious crescent rolls. I sometimes bring some from home to school, and I have to tell them Rachel makes them, or else they'll force me to bake them every day."

Kurt giggled again and pulled back.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Do you have the dough right now?"

"I think we do. Let me check."

Blaine went to the refrigerator and easily dug out two cans of dough. Before he could ask Kurt if he wanted them, Kurt was batting his eyelashes at him and pouting the hell out of his lips.

"You want them," Blaine assumed.

"Pretty please?"

"Crescent rolls for Kurt Hummel, coming up!"

He swiftly started working; getting the dough out of the tin, rolling it out, cutting the shapes out and rolling them up, after adding some spices and grated cheese as his secret ingredients. He'd only prepared two when he felt a pair of hands grip his hips. A body smoothly pressed against him and a chin was rested on his shoulder.

"Do you want to help? It's really easy."

"I just want to watch you making them first, if that's okay."

"Of course!"

They remained in the same position practically the entire time. Kurt eventually helped making the last three, though he'd rather kept holding Blaine. Reluctantly he let him go, after Blaine pointed out the crescent needed to go in the already preheated oven.

"Now something to drink," Blaine said more to himself then Kurt, which probably was the reason he didn't hear Kurt when he said that some juice or tea was fine. Instead, he ran back and forth between cabinets, collecting mugs and various bottles and jars, while Kurt watched him peculiarly. When he sat everything down at the coffee machine, it was clear to Kurt that he was making some sort of coffee, but he didn't see what kind.

Kurt was fidgeting with his fingers and humming along half the song playing in the background, when Blaine shoved one of the mugs right under his nose.

"It's most likely not as good as what they serve at the Lima Bean, but I hope it tastes good anyway."

Curious as could be, Kurt took the mug, waited a bit for the steamy content to cool off and carefully took a sip. His eyes popped and shone bright as soon as he recognised the taste.

"Is this mocha?"

"Non-fat!" Blaine grinned, nodding at the skim-milk on the counter. "Mine's a Caramel Macchiato. I forgot to buy new coffee to make my precious drip."

"How do you know to make all of this?"

"Last year during the summer, Rachel and I went to stay with our aunt in Chicago for two weeks. Our cousin works at Starbucks and she showed me how to make a couple of drinks. She sends me a box with various bottles of syrup and packs of coffee every few months, so I can keep trying myself."

Kurt smiled excitedly and high fived his friend.

"Wow, that's really cool. And as for my coffee; it tastes really good. We could totally save up on Lima Bean costs."

"Nope," Blaine argued, shaking his head. "I don't make coffee at Dalton. Same story as with the crescent rolls. Seriously, my friends wouldn't let me have a life. But we could make an exception now and then and come here, instead of going to the Lima Bean."

"Soooo…" Kurt smirked as he put his mug on the counter, also taking that of Blaine's out of his hands to set it next to his. He then took Blaine's hand and drew him in closer, so he could coil his arms around Blaine's waist. "Since you do make all that for me, am I allowed to call you my personal barista?"

Blaine giggled adorably, running his hands up and down Kurt's arms, before he rested them on Kurt's chest.

"Unfortunately, I often make coffee like this for my dads, and I can bribe Rachel with a Soy Vanilla Latte at any given time."

"They're all family. That doesn't count."

"Okay, then I'm your personal barista."

"Nice. "

Blaine chuckled at the timid reaction. He rested his head on Kurt's shoulder, facing away from the other boy. He tried to hide his disappointment. He didn't just wasn't be Kurt's personal barista; he just wanted to be Kurt's, and he wanted to be able to call Kurt his.

Suddenly Kurt jumped up and with a squeal and pointed at the iPod docking station, which began playing Beyoncé's Single Ladies.

"This is my jam," he exclaimed. He promptly slipped away from Blaine and ran to the device to set the volume higher. He then dragged Blaine to the side of the kitchen, claiming he was going to teach him the steps.

Blaine had a hard time doing following Kurt, because there was nothing in the world more mind-blowing than Kurt using his hips. It seemed like they weren't even attached to the rest of his body. The way he was gyrating them, swinging from side to side, and back and forth; it was surreal and oh so hot.

After the third rerun of the song, he finally got out of the hypnotic grasp of Kurt's sensual body and got into the steps.

"So now you've got to poke your hip out and tap your butt," Kurt said while doing the moves he explained.

"Okay," Blaine chirped. Only, instead of following the steps, he reached over and smacked Kurt's butt.

"Blaine!" Kurt shrieked with a laugh. He tried to slap him on his arm, but Blaine dashed away to the other side of the kitchen island. Kurt chased him right away, which resulted in the two running laps around the kitchen island.

The beeping of the oven, signalling their crescent rolls being done, distracted Blaine long enough for him to slow down. In the fraction in which he didn't pay attention, Kurt jumped on his back, almost knocking them both to the ground. He managed to keep his stance and held Kurt securely by his thighs. It wasn't actually necessary; Kurt had his legs tightly clamped around his hips and arms around Blaine's neck. He wouldn't slip away were Blaine to let go.

"Got you," Kurt giggled in his ear and nuzzled his nose in the curls right above it.

Blaine turned his head toward him, blushing when his cheek was kissed.

"You totally have me," he whispered, the tone in his voice hinting subtly at a double meaning – because he was completely Kurt's, whether Kurt was aware of that or not.

Kurt hopped off way too soon for his liking, and slapped him firmly on his butt.

"I totally deserved that. But it was so worth it!"

"Perv," Kurt muttered amused. They worked together on getting the crescent rolls out of the oven and into plates. The remainder went into the cutest little bread basket Kurt had ever seen, for anyone else who liked. They ate their breakfast at the kitchen island in a comfortable silence.

The emptier their plates got, the heavier their nerves became. By the time their plated and mugs were empty and cleaned, both of them were trembling all over.

"Are you ready for this?" Blaine asked softly.

"No. You?"

"No."

"We're going to do this though?"

"Together, Let's go."

They exchanged a long hug – a really, really long hug – and laced their fingers together. Kurt kissed Blaine's cheek swiftly; Blaine returned it and leaded his crush to the dining table, where his parents were already waiting.

* * *

><p><em>So can we please pretend that I am not a lazy bum, procrastinator extraordinaire and waited this long with posting on purpose, so I was sure that I could post on Darren's bday? Yes, okay! This chapter is a two parter, because the rest made this more than twice as long. I'm gonna do my best to post the other part next week. Thank you guys for all the comments. You are awesome!<em>


	14. Chapter 12 part 2

"Hey kiddos," Liam smiled when he saw his son walking into the dining room, hand in hand with his best friend. He felt for them, seeing the both of them so nervous. "Have a seat."

He pointed at the two seats opposite him and Bryan. Blaine and Kurt both gulped in perfect sync, before Blaine tugged Kurt closer to the table. They each sat down, and entwined their hands immediately again. Kurt was as pale as a sheet and Blaine looked like he was about to throw up.

"Woah, calm down. Both of you," Bryan chuckled, though there was clear evidence of worry in his voice. "I know this might be uncomfortable to talk about, but we're here to help; not judge. There's no rush, we can take all the time you need."

The two boys nodded to Bryan, who then focused on Kurt alone.

"Can you give us an image of what happens to you in school? Rachel comes home a lot with stained clothes and headaches caused by slushies, but I doubt that's the only thing that makes you upset. Blaine told us you had it a lot worse."

Kurt almost huffed at the thought of slushies of being the only threatening thing, but he didn't want to seem rude when these men were trying to be there for him.

"Slushies happen to everyone in the Glee club. It is almost like an initiation right for new members. So no, that's not what makes me upset. What does is that I cannot go to my locker or pass one between classes, without being slammed against one by a jock. A few times I've been picked up and literally thrown against them."

The mouths of the two men across from them fell wide open, their eyes bulging out as they tried to process what they just heard. Blaine, of course, had heard similar stories before, but he seemed paralyzed by shock nonetheless.

Kurt avoided all of their stares and gazed at the table instead. He couldn't help but to feel slightly uncomfortable while telling his stories, even though nobody else in Ohio would understand him as much as the people in that room could.

"I…ehm…I can't go on the parking lot alone. Whenever I do and there are a bunch of jocks around, they'll toss me in the dumpster, because 'fags belong in the trash'."

Blaine's hand tightened its grip on Kurt's, while Liam's face darkened. Kurt figured that what he was telling must be reminding them about the things they went through themselves. He didn't know whether he should continue or not, but Bryan was nodding an okay; so he did.

"Back when I had gym class without my friends, they'd always kick me out of the locker room. They thought I would ogle all the boys if I was there. Now some of my friends are there and they've managed to stop that. The bullies still make loud, obnoxious comments like, 'I better cover up, or else the fairy might jump me'.

"Since they can't throw me out of the locker room, they try to kick me out of the bathrooms, telling me my place is in the ladies room. They actually threw me through a glass door one time, because I refused to leave. They've defaced my locker many times; I've found notes with threats and hateful slurs between my stuff. The jocks openly insult me; others just do it quietly or give me nasty looks. I've had my clothes stolen and dyed pink once. I-"

"STOP!"

All eyes were directed at Blaine. The curly haired boy sat quietly in his chair. His eyes were closed and he trembled heavily. To say he was shaken up would be a severe understatement.

"B?" Kurt whispered. He squeezed the hand that was laced with his and enclosed his free hand over them.

"Please? Just stop…awful memories," he muttered. Kurt responded right away with a warm and tight hug, hooking an arm around Blaine's shoulders and dragging him against his chest. Blaine wasn't crying, but he was definitely sniffling and lightly sobbing.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Bryan asked. He and his husband held each other and looked at the two boys with similar worried expressions.

"I'm fine," Blaine murmured into Kurt's shirt. "It just hits way too close."

"Don't your teachers do anything?" Liam asked sadly to change the mood a bit. Kurt shook his head.

"It's like Blaine once told me about his old school. That if you're gay, nobody really cares and you just have to deal with it. Most teachers really don't care much about anything. They either hang out in their class rooms or in the teachers' lounge. They'll stop a fight if they see one, but that's about it.

"The only two who actually care are my Glee club teacher, Mr. Shuester, and the football coach, Ms. Beiste. Coach Beiste isn't in the halls near enough to see the bullying, because she's always so busy with her team and their games. I don't have a bond with her, and I don't have any physical proof of the bullying other than my bruises, so I don't feel like I can just step out and ask her for help.

"Mr. Shuester isn't always around either because he's always so busy. He's taken me to the principal a few times so I could tell my story. But then the principal makes some sort of excuse and Mr. Shue gives up, because he has another Glee kid knocking on his door or grading and competitions to worry about. Our student counsellor is also a nice lady, but too often she tries to solve things with pamphlets. She's given me a list of hotlines for kids like Blaine and me, but those people only listen and can't change McKinley."

"It gets better, just not anytime soon," Blaine added on a mocking, monotone voice.

"I can't believe we're sending our daughter to that school," Bryan hissed to Liam.

"She wanted to, remember. Stay on topic, babe." Liam replied with a forced smile, obviously not liking the idea of Rachel going there now either. He reached over the table, requesting Kurt's hand. Kurt hesitantly slipped it into Liam's and relaxed when the older man gave him a reassuring pad.

"Kurt, what do your parents say about this? Blaine told us they accept your sexuality."

"Oh they most definitely do. But I haven't told them anything about what's going on at school, so they don't know. Well, they know about the slushying, because that happens to my brother as well, but they are unaware of the rest."

The three Berry-Anderson men waited in expectation for the rest. Bryan even made an impatient hand gesture, which made Liam scold at him. It never failed to amuse Kurt to see them interact as an old married couple. The soft snicker coming from the person next to him aided to his inner laughter. So he gave Blaine a light kick under the table and continued with his story.

"My dad is sick," he announced. "Around the beginning of this year he had a heart attack and while he has recovered for the biggest part and is working close to normally again, I don't want to set him back. He can't stress too much. If I tell him what's going on, he'll flip out and I don't want him to have another heart attack. I almost lost him last time, so I don't even want to know what damage a second heart attack could do. I've already lost one parent; I'm not ready to lose another one."

"Of course you aren't, "Bryan, who'd lost his own father on a very young age, sympathized. "And I understand your concern about him. What about your step-mother though? Have you considered telling her?"

"Oh I have. Carole is the sweetest woman you could imagine and I can talk to her about pretty much anything. But I know her well enough to know that there's no way she will be able to keep this from my dad. She's aware something is up, but I always brush it off as being stressed or tired. Usually she doesn't believe me, but she doesn't pry either."

Liam and Bryan started discussing something among themselves. So Blaine leaned towards Kurt, placed his head on Kurt's shoulder and wrapped an arm around him.

"It's going to be okay, Blue. Things came alright for me. They will for you too. You deserve it."

"Thanks B. And thank you for not saying you're sorry. People would usually do that."

"I know. It would seem a little bit hypocritical after last night."

"It would, yes."

Blaine chuckled, and grabbed Kurt's hand. He laid it on his lap and spread it open. With his finger he drew something on the palm of his hand. At first Kurt didn't get it, but after a few repeats, he figured it out.

"Courage. You're writing courage, aren't you?"

"Yes," Blaine grinned.

"You're such a dork!"

"A good kind of dork?"

"The absolute best kind."

Blaine beamed proudly. Kurt loved it when Blaine tried to contain a big smile because he looked so cute when trying – and failing – to hold his happiness in. He spread Blaine's hand open and drew something for him too. Blaine concentrated deeply on what he was doing, trying his best not to look at Kurt's face.

"Brave?" he gulped.

Kurt nodded a confirmation. That set off a little game where they took turns writing encouraging words on each other's palms like: sweet, smart, fabulous, adorable, bright, wonderful, Incredible, Invincible, unique and magical. Blaine now and then teased Kurt with long, difficult words, earning a little smack every time Kurt figured it out.

Kurt opened Blaine's hand again and wrote. It was long, but not a difficult word like Blaine expected. Actually, it was not one but three words. Best friend ever.

Blaine responded by drawing a simple heart in Kurt's hand. Kurt blushed so bad that he was convinced he'd never had more colour on his skin. Despite that, he opened Blaine's hand and drew a heart for him too.

"Kurt?"

Bryan interrupted them, ignoring the annoyed huff his own son sent his way.

"Listen, we're going to have a talk with a friend of ours, who's a lawyer, to see if any legal actions can be taken against the school. In the meantime it might be best if you and us sit down with your stepmother and tell her what's going on."

Kurt opened his mouth to protest to the second part of Bryan's proposition. Liam, ever in sync with his husband, held his hand up to stop him and easily continued where Bryan had left.

"We know why you don't want your stepmother to know. But we're going to need her help to bring this to your father."

Now both Kurt and Blaine shouted protests; Blaine even louder than Kurt.

"BOYS! Liam snapped. The boys fell silent, though not without remaining furious. "Kurt, it's very admirable the way you think of your father's health, but he needs to know. He might be your only biological parent alive, but don't forget that you're his only biological son as well. If things at school seriously get out of hand, he wouldn't know what was going on in his son's life. It could hurt him just as much, if not more. Plus, as much as we'd love to help you, it might come to things that require your father's approval. It doesn't have to happen today, tomorrow or even next week. But it has to happen; the sooner the better."

Kurt was quiet. He didn't look at Blaine's dads, nor at Blaine. Neither men could figure out what was going on in his head, but they all waited patiently.

It took a short while, but Kurt whipped his head up and smiled at Bryan and Liam.

"Okay, I'm up for it."

Liam and Bryan grabbed each other's hand, sighing relieved. Both were very much delighted. Blaine glowed with pride and swung and arm around Kurt.

"I need some time to prepare for this though. I don't think I can just talk about this to my dad," Kurt pouted.

"Of course! And I'll help you," Blaine reassured him. Liam smiled and Bryan nodded along.

"You're not happy?" Blaine frowned when Kurt didn't respond to him or his parents, and still carried his pout. Kurt turned to him rather confused at first. He blinked a few times and then shook his head.

"I'm happy, B. I really am. It just…has to sink in. Things are most likely going to change; most likely for the better. That seemed so impossible just yesterday. It's a lot to take in. But I'm happy and so grateful."

Blaine glowed with pride once more, which made Kurt blush, which made Blaine giggle, and then Kurt giggled, and then they were just stuck exchanging loving and adoring gazes, until Bryan subtly coughed and the boys snapped out of it.

"Your turn," Kurt whispered to Blaine, as he caressed gently over his hand.

"His turn for what?" Liam asked curiously.

"To talk about that rotten, measly, good-for-nothing meer- , ahum, I mean Sebastian. I thought that if he finally could bring himself to talk about it, he'd get less angry whenever Sebastian comes up as a topic."

"You know?" Bryan asked surprised.

"Rachel told me but it was a short version," Kurt shrugged. Then he turned to Blaine and gave him an encouraging smile. "Hopefully you can tell us the long version. I'm awfully curious. But only if you really can."

Blaine gulped, straightened his back and took a deep breath.

"I think I can…I have to."

So Blaine opened up to his parents and the angel on his side, who not once let go of him and who didn't judge him one little bit, no matter how embarrassing the story got. There was a lot of anger, accompanied by tears. There were needed breaks for crying and regaining his calm. Breaks in which Kurt unlinked their arms, just to wrap him in a warm hug.

In the end, he had to admit that he felt so good. Kurt was right. Getting everything of his chest felt freeing. There was no guarantee Sebastian and everything about him wouldn't make him blow up ever again, and his general anger towards his ex didn't evaporate, but he felt better; like it was easier to deal with now.

Liam and Bryan listened patiently to everything their son had to say. In the end they actually offered their apologies for never noticing what happened to him, and for not being there when he obviously needed it. Blaine waved it off, claiming he purposely never spoke of it.

It turned into a discussion about who was right in this. Kurt broke it up by saying nobody was in the wrong, and that no one should be angry at anybody else but Sebastian. The Berry-Anderson men agreed and the conversation concluded in a long, emotional group hug.

Blaine excused himself to go take a shower. He felt the needed to go wash things off, hoping to flush the negative feelings left from the discussion. No matter what Kurt said, he would keep feeling guilty for not telling his parent after all the worry he's already put them through years ago. They didn't deserve to be excluded. So he made a mental note to talk to them more often on his weekends at home.

He was so occupied by his thoughts, that he never noticed Kurt sneaking behind him and catching up to him when he was at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey!"

Before he was well back to conscious, Kurt had taken a grip on his slim hips and brought him closer. Blaine automatically slipped his hands around Kurt's neck and let himself be hugged.

"I'm so unbelievably proud of you, B!" Kurt murmured, nuzzling his face into the wild curls on Blaine's head.

"Not as proud as I am of you, Blue."

"Don't turn this into a competition, 'because you're going to lose, Anderson. Take a damn compliment!"

Blaine giggled and sighed, resting his head on Kurt's shoulder.

"After I've taken my shower, will you please cuddle with me on the couch until the girls return from the store."

Kurt tsked him and flicked the tip of his nose.

"Like you need to ask, silly. Go, I'll wait for you."

He kissed Blaine on his forehead and shooed him up the stairs with a firm slap on his ass.

"I'll get you back for that," Blaine smirked, as he teasingly wiggled his ass before skipping to the next floor. Kurt laughed and went back to the living room. While he waited for Blaine to come back, he answered a few texts he'd gotten the day before from Brittany and Finn, who both were super-concerned since he had left Glee practise, and mass-texted all the guys to thank them for standing up for him and to apologise for getting them hurt. Like Blaine told him about his friends, the boys of New Direction each confirmed it was what they would do for all of their friends and that there was no blame on him. Puck even called him one of the bro's.

But the entire time, he couldn't shake this weird feeling off of him. So when he was done texting, he went down to the basement where he knew Blaine's parents were preparing the room for a gathering with their friends.

"Excuse me? Liam? Bryan?"

"Hey Kurt," Bryan chirped, as he placed candles on a table. "Is there anything we can help you with?"

"I wanted to ask you a question actually. I extremely appreciate all the help you've offered me, but I can't help to wonder why you would do it. I'm not your son. I'm not even family. You have no obligations or anything…"

Kurt clearly looked at loss by the actions of the older men. They, however, smiled in endearment at him, blown away by how humble he was being.

"Come sit for a second," Liam said as he guided Kurt to the couch. He sat next to him, while Bryan chose to lean on one of the tables.

"Well, one of the reasons we decided to help you, is simply because we're parents. We felt like this is what we're supposed to do as parents with kids of your age. Especially after we've seen what Blaine went through, and after experiencing what I've been through as a teen. I know how though it can be without good support," Liam explained.

Bryan reached over and took his husband's hand to place a soft kiss on the back of it. Liam flashed him a thankful and smitten grin. Kurt blushed a bit; he couldn't help feeling like he was witnessing something very intimate. At the same time he dreamt that this was how his life was going to be thirty years from now, with Blaine.

"There's more, "Bryan said, tearing his eyes away from his man. "Kurt, I don't know if you've noticed this for yourself, but you have changed both of our children by coming into their lives; for the better that is. First Rachel was positively out of her mind when she finally found a true friend at your school and in this town. She hasn't had any other than Blaine since we've moved here. And now Blaine is the happiest we've _ever_ seen him. It's almost like he's become a different person. Also because of you. We have some much joy watching our kids lately. Doing this for you is the least we could do to show our gratitude."

Kurt, baffled as could be, attempted to respond in a mature and wise manner, but actually found himself unable to actually utter a sense-making word after what he just had heard. How could he? How could anyone after hearing how much impact they've head on someone else's live?

Bryan clapped the silent boy on his shoulder and gave him an approving nod.

"You're a wonderful kid, Kurt. Don't let anybody ever tell you otherwise, okay."

"I-I w-won't," Kurt stammered in response. At the same time, a voice called him from the level above.

"Blue? Blue? Where are you?"

Of course Blaine wouldn't be Blaine if he didn't turn it into a little song. The three of them could hear him sing the short phrase over and over again as he moved around the floor above him.

"Go," Liam laughed as he gave Kurt a push towards the stairs. "And don't forget what we said!"

"I won't! Thank you so much!"

At the top of the stairs, he ran into Blaine, who was about to go down.

"Hey, what were you doing down there," Blaine asked, holding his hand out to Kurt. The latter threaded his fingers through Blaine's and let himself be taken to the living room.

"Talking to your parents, but now I'm all yours."

Blaine had to bite his lip to prevent himself from smiling to hard as he lay down on the couch, on his side, completely pressed against the back rest. Kurt settled down next to him, also on his side so they were facing each other. As his legs hooked themselves around Blaine's, he let his hands cup Blaine's face and caressed him lovely.

"What are you thinking about?" Blaine whispered. His hazel eyes struggled on focussing on Kurt's gorgeous blue eyes. His lips, shaped in a dreamy grin, looked so soft and delicious; he wanted to kiss them. Instead he let his arm fall over Kurt's waist and pulled him closer, until he was almost on top of him.

"Nothing," Kurt answered softly. He leaned in and kissed Blaine on his cheek, right next to the corners of his mouth. "You just make me ridiculously happy."

Blushing, Blaine pecked Kurt on his forehead and combed his hair with his fingers.

Likewise, Blue! Likewise!"

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks a million times to everyone who reviewed the first part. <strong>**_Lovestruck_**** reached 100 reviews in the past few days which is bloody awesome. I'm definitely going to try to get the next part of chapter 12 up by next week. Expect a shitload of fluff. (and my apologies for any mistakes. It's late, and I'm sick and tired)**


	15. Chapter 12 part 3

**Part 3 of chapter 12**

* * *

><p>When the girls had gotten home from their early morning shopping trip, they had found the two boys all tangled up on the couch; faces so close as they whispered to each other, that it would take no effort for them to kiss. But they didn't, much to the disappointment of everyone except Tina, who wasn't aware of the relationship between them. Though, she was very surprised to see the usually so reserved Kurt that close to someone.<p>

But then the maternal instinct in all the girls had kicked in and they had stolen Kurt away from Blaine – boy, Blaine was pissed – to hug him and check if he was alright. They also told him everything that was said by the Glee club, like they and Blaine had agreed to do. Kurt had told them about the text exchange with the boys, but still seemed visibly relieved. They all then moved to the kitchen to start of their bake-a-thon.

So now the group was busy in the kitchen, while one of Blaine's Michael Bubblé albums played in the background. Tina and Mercedes were decorating the rainbow cupcakes they had made. Rachel was making batter for vegan cupcakes, which would go into the oven right after her vegan chocolate cake was done – the others weren't too keen on the idea, but she, backed by Blaine, promised they were actually really good.

Kurt was at the stove, making delicious banana and apple beignets after his stepmother's recipe, while Blaine had his arms coiled around him and his chin perched on his shoulder, watching him bake. Between pouring batter into the pan and turning the beignet, and between turning the beignet and removing them from the oil, Kurt would let himself fall against Blaine's chest. His hand would find a way into Blaine's hair, to bury itself inside of the curls, which Blaine took as a sign to hold him closer and cuddle with him a bit more intimate than just before. The girls sneakily watched them now and then, but the boys were completely wrapped up in each other, in their own world, and didn't notice a thing.

Blaine nuzzled his nose in Kurt's neck, to with Kurt responded by giggling like a little girl. Kurt then tried to bump Blaine away with his butt. He just didn't put any really effort in it and actually just ended up even closer to Blaine's body.

"Hey! Don't burn those beignets," Mercedes warned, while snapping her fingers.

"We won't 'Cedes," Kurt sighed. He twisted his head so he could press a tiny, teasing kiss to Blaine's jaw.

"That one is burning right now," she threw back dryly. The boys looked at the pan in shock, and burst out in laughter when they saw that the poor beignet was indeed burning. Kurt used a slotted spoon to remove it, as Blaine awkwardly bent behind him to kill the stove. He grabbed Kurt's hand and led him to the garden door.

"Girls, we're going to take five. We'll be right back." In a barely audible whisper he added, "Or not."

The girls watched them disappear into the garden and heard them argue before the door fell shut behind them.

"B, it's cold outside."

"Hush, I'll keep you warm."

"Ugh, okay. But if I freeze to death I will haunt you for the rest of your life!"

"Fine by me."

Then they couldn't hear them anymore.

"Okay, what is up between those two," Tina asked practically immediately. "Are they dating?"

"Kurt has admitted he's in love with Blaine. Blaine's friends have told us Blaine's admitted he's in love with Kurt as well. But they don't know about each other feelings. They both are either super oblivious or deeply in denial about the feelings the other could have. And on top of that they managed to get friend zoned beyond believe," Mercedes explained, while Rachel nodded along. "But they are ridiculously affectionate for people who are just friends. They simply can't keep their hands to each other."

"Whenever one goes, the other follows. They're like magnets – always drawn to each other," Rachel continued as she poured her batter into a muffin tin. "Always hugging, cuddling and kissing. They're closer to each other than to anyone else on this planet. Heck, they're even closer and more affectionate than any of us are with our boyfriends," she smirked.

"I'm pretty sure they're soulmates," Mercedes sighed. Rachel hummed in agreement.

"Definitely soulmates."

The three girls sneaked over to the window looking out over the garden, and saw Blaine and Kurt in the gazebo in the back. Kurt was visibly shivering, with the hoodie Blaine had lent him providing little warmth. So as Blaine promised, he enveloped his arms around his crush and let him snuggle up.

Kurt must have said something funny because Blaine laughed hard and Kurt was snickering. Blaine then invited him to sit on the bench in the gazebo. It was big enough to easily fit three people on it, yet Kurt graciously dropped himself in Blaine's lap and Blaine didn't mind one bit.

Mercedes closed the blinds and shooed Rachel and Tina from the window.

"Let's give them some privacy. If something happens, Kurt will let us know for sure."

"B-b-but," Rachel stuttered, pointing outside.

Mercedes gave her one stern look, which was enough to make the petit girl back away. All three girls went back to their original tasks, discussing Blaine and Kurt animatedly.

Over fifteen minutes later, the boys finally dripped back into the kitchen; Kurt up front with Blaine following him hand in hand. They quickly apologised for taking so long – it was so giggly brought, that the girls doubt it was sincere – and Kurt went directly to the stove to finish the beignets.

"Blainey, could you start preparing cookie dough," Rachel asked her brother sweetly, after he had followed Kurt to the stove.

"What! But Rach…" Blaine protested frantically, motioning to Kurt behind said boy's back. It couldn't be clearer that his plan was to cuddle right back up to him.

"Boy, what is up with the two of you and 'buts' whenever someone asks you to do something?" Mercedes groaned. "Is it a family thing?"

"Well, three out of four of them are gay," Tina shrugged absently. She didn't even take her eyes of the cupcake she was decorating with fondant butterflies and butter crème.

The four other teens in the room stared at her astonished and baffled for a moment, before Blaine burst out in laughter. Kurt joined him soon and his ever contagious laugh infected the girls.

Eventually, it was Kurt and his gorgeous, winking eyes, who got Blaine to join the girls at the island to make cookie dough.

Blaine was always responsible for making the cookie dough, and his experience helped him to work fast and efficient. By the time he had his first batch of cookies in their second oven, and he was making chocolate chip dough for his second batch, a banana beignet was being held in front of his face by someone standing behind him. He took a big bite from it and literally moaned when the taste of it exploded on his tongue. It earned him a scandalised scowl from his sister and smirks from Tina and Mercedes. Kurt just grinned with a blush and gave him a squeeze in his upper arm.

"You're done already?" Blaine asked amazed.

"I didn't have that much apple pieces left. I just got the last one out." He paused and went to stand next to Blaine. "So you like them?"

"Like them?!" Blaine cried softly to not to disturb the conversation the girls had going on. "I absolutely love them and I'm going to steal them all for myself."

Kurt rolled his eyes and poked Blaine in his belly. He tried his best not to be faze by the hard abs he felt – he totally understood Tina's obsession with her boyfriend's body ever since the first time he had touched Blaine's stomach.

"You are like my brother. You guys eat sweets and snacks all day. Where do you leave it?"

"Well it certainly wasn't me who got a third piece of cheese cake at the last sleepover," Blaine shot back with a mocking smirk.

"Cheese cake is everything!" Kurt snapped. A sassy handshake and a snap of the fingers was all Blaine got, before Kurt turned his back on him to look for ingredients for gingerbread cookies.

"I know and so does your ass," Blaine laughed. He took a bit of flour in his head and smacked it on Kurt's butt, leaving a perfect handprint behind.

Kurt yelped high and loudly. He regained his posture very fast and huffed at Blaine. With a foul smirk he arched his back and very provocatively shook his ass like a professional video girl.

"You're just jealous of my perfect money maker, Anderson!"

Blaine's brains malfunctioned completely. His eyes and mouth were wide open and not a single sensible word came out of him. With a giggle, Kurt took some flour between his fingers, flicked it on Blaine's nose and pecked him on the cheek. Point for team Kurt!

**-oOo-**

Two hours or so later, Kurt and Blaine had whipped out a few batches of various cookies. Rachel and Mercedes had made even more cupcakes in different flavours and Tina was making macarons.

The Ben Howard album Blaine had put up after Michael Bublé had finished already. There was this unwanted silence suppressing the mood; everyone felt it and no one liked it. So as she was adding food colouring to her batter, Tina started singing the first lines of Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine. Mercedes sang the next; Rachel those after and Kurt the next. They kept alternating until the chorus, where they switched over to a stunning harmony.

The song continued while Blaine stood quietly at the counter, with the frosting he was making remaining half done in its bowl. He was frozen, stunned by how the four New Direction members sounded together. He knew how his sister sounded of course, and he'd gotten to know Mercedes and Kurt's voices during karaoke, but he never heard them full-force like this. He left the frosting on the counter and sloughed against it.

Nearing the end of the song, Kurt glanced in Blaine's direction and noticed the petrified way Blaine gaped at them. It confused him immensely, though he waited until the song ended and the girls burst out in Shake It Out to walk towards his crush.

"Everything okay, B?" he asked concerned, as his he grabbed the boy by his shoulder to try to force him into making eye contact.

"No! We're fucked!" Blaine stammered. Except for his mouth and eyes, which found Kurt's, his whole face was frozen in the same stunned position. "We are so fucked!"

"Who?"

"The Warblers!"

"The Warblers…eh…what? B, you're making no sense. Why are the Warblers fucked?"

Blaine grabbed Kurt in return, digging his fingers deep into Kurt's arm. His face remained the same and it started to entertain Kurt.

"You don't get it, Kurt!" he croaked in panic. "If the Warblers win our sectionals and the New Directions will win yours, we'll have to go up against each other at Regionals. Just listen to how the girls sound. They are terrific! And the last song with you was even better. I don't even want to know how fantastic you guys would sound with the entire club. We're going to lose, Kurt. We are fu-ucked!"

He desperately grabbed his hair and slightly hyperventilated. Kurt watched him amused, though torn between giggling at the level of adorability Blaine was peaking at, or slapping him to sense. He ended up taking Blaine's chin between his fingers and jerking his head in his direction.

"Hey! Listen to me!"

Blaine blinked at Kurt's sudden dominance and then pouted a bit.

"I'm not going to talk about the many factors within the New Directions that will definitely bring our quality down, because intimidation and fear is good. But what I will tell you is how amazing the Warblers are. You guys are pretty unique within the high school show choir field. And while you may not be the only a capella choir, you are definitely the only one who perform with the poise, class and confidence as only the Warblers can.

"You guys aren't fucked; you're real competition. Not to mention that they have you. I've seen enough videos of you performing; You are their star for a reason," he smiled_. You are my star too, _he mentally added.

Blaine dropped his head with a shy chuckle. He seemed at lost with the compliment at first, but he couldn't keep corners of his mouth from curling into a grateful grin.

"Thanks Blue."

Kurt nodded as a reply and leaned in to place a soft, love-filled kiss on Blaine's cheek.

"Always B!"

"That's my line!" Blaine scoffed, laughing hard as he hooked his fingers under the hem of Kurt's hoodie to pull him closer.

"So freaking sue me," Kurt mocked back and pried Blaine's fingers of the hoodie so he could bring their bodies together in a hug. His arms locked lazily around Blaine's chest, while Blaine had is arms wrapped around his neck. They stood like that for a while, listening to the girls harmonizing some of Alicia Keys' repertoire, until Mercedes called them out for not doing anything. Reluctantly, they let each other go.

Together they made a few bowls of different coloured frosting and moved back to the island to decorate their cookies. They worked silently next to each other, only glancing in the other's direction now and then.

Suddenly Blaine got a plate with two cookies on it shoved towards him. One was a gingerbread man with a dark blue sleek coupe for hair to represent his own hairdo, and a tiny tie and blazer resembling the iconic Dalton Academy uniform. On the blazer, Kurt had drawn a yellow star-shaped medal, obviously a reminder of the conversation they just had.

The other cookie was heart-shaped, completely filled in with pink frosting with the words 'thank you' scribbled on it in green. Blaine marvelled at them, before turning to his crush.

"I get this awesome little fellow, but what's the heart about?" he whispered to him as he leaned closer.

"I know this bake-a-thon is you idea. Don't ask me how; I just do. And it is exactly what I needed after yesterday. After this whole damned week actually. So thank you, sweety."

Blaine blushed at the new nickname and even more when Kurt playfully blew him a kiss. Shyly he blew one back, not easing down until Kurt held out a hand for him to intertwine with. Blaine did, but they both caught Mercedes glaring at them in the corner of their eyes. Blaine gave her a coyly wink, to which the girl giggled and shook her head.

**-oOo-**

With the boys actively helping out, they finished everything in a pretty fast time. They ended up with heaps of cupcakes, cookies and macarons, two cakes and an apple pie.

Instead of having pizza, Liam and Bryan surprised the lot with sushi.

During the setting of the dining table, Rachel discovered that she'd forgotten to buy soda when they went to get groceries that morning.

"I'll run to the store," Blaine offered. He went to get his wallet from his room but returned to the dining room before he even got to the stairs.

"Kurt, do you want to come with me?" He asked, though it was more a plea.

"Sure," Kurt answered surprised, putting down the cutlery he was holding. Everybody was snickering because of the flushed boys, who were paying attention to nobody but the other.

"I need to change my jeans though, because you soiled these," Kurt accused Blaine and presented his flour-covered butt for everyone to see.

"Do I want to know why you, from all places, have flour _there_?" Liam chuckled.

Both boys turned mad red. Kurt fled out of the room and ran upstairs, with Blaine chasing him on the heels.

Not long after, they were walking down the street. Kurt had his arm hooked in Blaine's. The wind was ice cold for the time of year and it was like an iceberg was bitch-slapping them, so they made sure to huddle together.

Kurt moved in even closer to Blaine when another gush of wind passed them. They were continuing their Warblers vs. New Direction discussion, but in the back of his mind, his clothes kept him busy. Or better said, Blaine's clothes, because almost everything he had one was borrowed from him. Blaine had given him a pair of skinny jeans, so he could spare his extra clothes from getting dirty as well. He was also wearing a pair of Blaine's oxford shoes, a coat of his, a beanie and a thick scarf, because his own coat and boots were still damp from the storm the day before. Add him wearing the underwear and hoodie he already had on from before and he was covered in Blaine from head to toe.

"Blue, are you listening to me?" he suddenly heard, alongside a nudge in his side.

"Oh…ehm…yeah. Sorry. Just a little bit distracted."

"Okay," Blaine shrugged happily. "You're fine though?"

"Absolutely," Kurt confirmed.

"Hey look!" Blaine yelled, pointing to something of which Kurt couldn't quite figure out what it was at first. Whatever it was got Blaine really excited. He was grabbed by the hand and dragged through the streets, until they stopped before a little shelter with firewood, next to the beginning of a driveway before a house. Someone had swept a big pile of autumn-coloured leaves under it and they had been spared for the biggest part of the storm, so they were nicely dry.

Blaine wiped a few leaves from the top and took a dive on top of the pile.

"Blaine!" Kurt screeched, half shocked, half amused.

"Blue, come down here," Blaine laughed. His face resembled that of a carefree five-year old. "Please Blue, come on!"

He held his hand out to Kurt. After a short deliberation, said boy carefully accepted the hand, only to find himself getting yanked into the pile with quite some force.

"You're such an ass, Anderson," he giggled when he lay down on his back and Blaine sprinkled a few leaves over him.

"You secretly love me," Blaine said teasingly.

_You don't even know how right you are, _Kurt thought as he rolled his eyes at Blaine. Blaine took his phone out of his pocket and opened the camera app.

"Smile Blue!"

Kurt gave him his dreamiest smile that turned Blaine in a puddle of goo on the inside. The beauty of Kurt, surrounded by the colours of autumn, made this his favourite picture ever and he made sure to immediately save it as his screensaver. Kurt took the phone from him and changed it to the front camera.

He wiggled until he was completely against Blaine and pressed their faces together. He snapped a picture; they slightly changed and snapped another one. They did that about six times and Kurt made sure to forward each to his own phone right away.

"These are so cute," he cooed, while sinking back into the leaves.

"They really are," Blaine agreed, viewing the last one they took. He turned his head to Kurt to smile at him, right as Kurt had the thought of doing the exact same thing, at the exact same time. Suddenly they were aware of how close they actually were.

"Ehm hi," Blaine whispered, his eyes not leaving Kurt's

"Hi," Kurt whispered back.

Both of them unintentionally crept even closer. It was if a magnetic field was tugging them, and more specifically their lips, closer into a kiss. But before that could even happen, the door of the house the shelter belonged to was slammed open and an elderly man stomped into the garden with a broomstick in his hand.

"You brats! I swiped that up yesterday! Get out of here before I call the police!"

Blaine, who was already on his feet when he'd heard the door, helped Kurt with getting out of the pile and hand-in-hand they ran for their lives until they'd reached the supermarket, where they rested against a wall to regain their breath.

"You are turning me into a criminal," Kurt panted.

"You loved the rush just as much as I did," Blaine stated as a matter-of-fact.

"I did."

"It was awesome!"

"It was."

"Want to do it again?"

"No!"

Blaine's eyes glistered with mischief; Kurt shook his head.

"Nick and Jeff have the worst influence on you, you know?"

"Oh, I know," Blaine smirked wiggling his eyebrows knowingly.

"Ugh, just walk, will you. You little rascal," Kurt scolded and pushed him towards the entrance of the store.

By the time they returned, had dinner and made a tiny dent into the pile of sweets, night had fallen and the entire gang had retreated to Rachel's room.

Mercedes was teaching Blaine how to make corn rows, using Rachel's hair for practice, while Tina and Kurt were singing and dancing together in circles around them to Good Morning from Singing in the Rain.

Blaine's phone went off in his pocket, flashing David's name and a picture of him on the screen. He cheerfully picked up, but seemed sombre as soon as David had said a few things. The other watched him curiously – especially Kurt, who'd stopped dancing after he noticed Blaine's grave expression – though they couldn't make up what was going on.

Blaine excused himself and left the room. The girls shrugged it off and went on with braiding Rachel's hair. Kurt, however, couldn't let it go as easily, since David was also a friend of his. He sneaked out of Rachel's room and slipped to the next door, which held Blaine's voice behind it. He was greeted by a surprised smile by Blaine, who was sitting on his desk.

"Everything okay?" he mouthed, nodding to the phone while he walked over to him. Blaine shook his head.

"Hold on, Dave," he mumbled into the speaker and covered it. "He had a huge fight with his girlfriend and she said she's thinking about breaking up with him. He's really upset right now and asked me if I could come over, but-"

"Go."

"But-"

"B," Kurt said softly. He reached out to Blaine and gently caressed his cheek. When Blaine leaned into his touch, he couldn't help but smile. "He needs you. Go and be there for him. "

"But you need me too," Blaine protested in a sigh. "I can't just leave you here."

"I've been hogging you since last night," Kurt laughed sadly. "And it's not like you will be leaving me alone. There are three girls out there waiting to take care of their cub."

They both laughed this time, but Blaine remembered he still had David on the line.

"Hey bro, I'm coming over, okay. Gonna leave in five."

Kurt couldn't hear David's response, though the nod coming from Blaine probably meant something positive.

"David says hi and thank you, and he owes you one," Blaine said, after he and David said their goodbyes. He grabbed a backpack from under his bed and filled with sleepwear, underwear, a toothbrush and some products.

"You're going to stay there?" Kurt pouted, when he figured out the purpose of the bag.

"Maybe. Depends on how late it'll be. If I do, I'll come back in the morning and we'll have lunch together."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"Deal," Blaine grinned and slung his backpack over his shoulder. "Walk me to the door?"

As answer, Kurt took his hand and laced their fingers. They stopped at Rachel's room so Blaine could greet the girls, and proceeded to the front door in silence.

"Hey, why don't you come with me?" Blaine said right before he opened the door, excited as if it was the best idea he ever had. "David wouldn't mind. He'd love it actually."

"Oh B," Kurt sighed, tightening the grip on the hand he was holding. "That's really sweet of you and I'd love to, but the girls. I've been pretty much ignoring them since I've been here. Almost all week actually. It would be rude to just leave, when I'm a guest myself. Besides, I missed out on some McKinley gossip, I could use a catch-up. I promise I'll go with you next time."

"I'll hold you to that," Blaine grinned, mimicking Kurt's earlier words.

"Give David a hug for me?"

Blaine nodded, then yelped in surprise when Kurt yanked him closer to give him a really long kiss on his cheek.

"Do I need to give that to David too?" he chuckled jokingly.

"Nope, that one was all for you."

Blaine blushed heavily, ducking his head to hide his rosy cheeks, as well as the flattered grin he couldn't get of his face. Then, in a swift moment, he dived in and kissed Kurt on his temple. He leaned in further and spoke softly in his ear.

"I'll text you when I'm there and if I stay, I will text or call you before I go to bed."

"You better," Kurt answered coyly.

They hugged each other one more time, before Blaine walked out the door. On his way to his car, he kept turning around to wave or to blow a kiss. Every time, Kurt giggled and waved back, or blew a kiss in return, while he internally swooned over his best friend.

He waited until Blaine was in his car and had driven away, before he closed the door. Sighing deeply, he slummed against the door and slowly sank until he was seated on the floor. Down there he buried his face in his hands.

Parting from Blaine became harder every time, as he was always a bit more in love than before, and it was slowly but surely becoming unbearable to be around Blaine without being able to call him his. It had become his ultimate dream and he just _needed _it to become reality.

He sat there for quite some while – at least that's what it felt like – when he heard footsteps from somebody descending the stairs. He didn't even bother to look who it was, but the person still knelt right next to him and scooped him in their arms.

"Oh Kurtie," Rachel sighed and kissed the top of his head. He didn't respond to her. Instead he clutched her shirt in his hands and pressed his face against her shoulder in attempt to stop the tears he felt coming up. She let him hold her, but soon got up, pulled him on his feet and dragged him upstairs to her room.

Mercedes and Tina were already seated on Rachel's bed. Kurt wiggled himself between them, resting on Mercedes while Tina laid her head on his lap. Rachel went to sit cross-legged before them.

"Kurt, you need to talk to him," Mercedes said as she laid a hand around him.

"This dance the two of you are doing is breaking you and Blaine," Rachel added; the two other girls nodded along with her.

"What dance?" Kurt scoffed. "We're friends. Super close best friends. Yes, I'm in love with him, but there's no dance."

This time the girls scoffed.

"I've only seen the two of you together for a few hours and even I see the feelings the both of you have," Tina quipped. Kurt purposely moved his legs so the teen on his lap dropped her head a bit and squeaked in surprise.

"Don't be mean," she pouted and gave him a slap on his thigh. "I'm just stating what I saw. You guys are closer, more touchy-feely and clingier with each other than any of us are with our boyfriends, for Pete's sake."

"You two actually act more like a couple than any of us do," Rachel pointed out. "I wish Finn held me as much as my brother holds you, even if it's remotely in the same intimate way. You two ooze romance when you're together."

"We just like it," Kurt shrugged as if it was nothing. "We never said it out loud, but we know each other well enough that this is a very mutual thing. We're both cuddle whores and like to be affectionate. Neither of us have boyfriends, so why not do it with the person who comes the closest to being a boyfriend. It's never awkward and it feels incredible to be on that intimacy level with someone. It's a win-win situation for the both of us."

"It's not a win-win situation when deep inside, it's killing you and Blaine at the same time," Mercedes objected. "You clearly want more; Blaine clearly wants more. But you are driving yourselves crazy over feelings you think are not being reciprocated. They are. We see how you look at Blaine and how Blaine looks at you, especially when you're not looking. That guy loves you."

Rachel and Tina smiled brightly and loudly agreed with Mercedes' little speech. Kurt, however, didn't seem very convinced. He ran a hand through his hair and then fidgeted with the ropes of his hoodie.

"I really want to believe you, but-"

"But what, Kurt?" Tina groaned frustrated.

"You guys don't get it!" Kurt snapped annoyed. "I had a crush on Finn and that door slapped in my face. I had a crush on Sam; that door slammed in my face. Now there's Blaine and compared to what I feel for him, Finn and Sam were the silliest crushes one can imagine. I cannot have that door slam in my face. I need Blaine in my life, even if it's just as a friend."

The girls fell quiet - everything seemed to have gone quiet. They all felt guilty for pushing Kurt, now that they knew how scared he was. Still, Rachel made a last attempt for the sake of the heart of not only her best friend, but also that of her twin.

"At least think about making a move, Kurt. I honestly think it'll be very rewarding. You don't have to do when you see him again, but at least think about it. Okay?"

"I will, but I'm not promising anything else."

The three girls sighed relieved, settling for this agreement, and so did Kurt. Then he clapped his hands and spoke in a lighter and freer way.

"Now that Blaine isn't here to utter his distaste for the books and movies, can we please watch a Twilight movie with a lot of Taylor Lautner's naked abs?"

"Yes!" Tina and Rachel shouted happily as Mercedes raised her hand in praise. Rachel went to set up her laptop, while the other three went down to the kitchen to get some of their baked sweets. Back upstairs, they all found a comfortable position on Rachel's bed to sit in. Not far into the movie, Kurt received a text. It was from Blaine, so he didn't mind the disturbance.

_Made it to David's. He's bummed you didn't come along but he says hi, and demands you come next time. Xoxoxxx B._

It was directly followed by a second text.

_The o's are from David. All the x's are from me ;) B._

Kurt cooed enamoured. He sent a quick reply with only '_xxx K.'_ in it, and ignored his phone further - he could feel Mercedes eyeing him suspiciously and he didn't want his unusual friendship with Blaine to be subject of discussion again.

Right before they went to bed, he had a short text-exchange with Blaine, which ended with them sending each other photos of themselves blowing a kiss to the other. That night, both boys fell sleep with the biggest smile on their faces.

* * *

><p><strong>I was absolutely blown away by the response to the last chapter. I'm really glad you guys liked that one so much. I'm not sure yet when the next one will be up as I've barely have anything written on it yet, but I'm going to try to keep the wait short. Thanks again for the support!<strong>


	16. Chapter 13

Hard clatter against the window, caused by rain, awoke Kurt on a dull Sunday morning from a not so fortunate sleep. He still felt very tired and that usually meant he had had a night of nightmares and hadn't rest well.

He felt an arm dangling over his waist and grinned. Tina must be thinking he was Mike, again. The girl had done that a few times before; it didn't surprise him anymore.

With a big yawn, he rubbed his eyes, before he was slowly hit by a bunch of realisations. For starters, he was not on Rachel's pullout couch, but in a very comfortable bed. The walls weren't pink with golden stars, but a solid moss green. He also saw a guitar; Rachel didn't own one. And then there was the smell. It didn't smell like Rachel's room at all, but like…Blaine's.

That's when it fully hit him. He was in the same room and bed he had woken up in the day before, which could only mean one thing. He lifted the duvet to see the arm holding him, and no, that definitely wasn't Tina's. It wasn't even feminine, but it was insanely familiar.

Kurt took a deep breath and peeked over his shoulder, only to be met by Blaine's peacefully sleeping face. He had no clue about what was going on, but if this was his wish of waking up next to Blaine every day coming true, he was really loving it right now.

He twisted around until he faced the guy he was in love with. He couldn't help feeling guilty for his next action, but he couldn't keep his questions to himself any longer. He cupped Blaine's cheek and slowly stroked back and forth with his thumb, while softly calling Blaine's name. Blaine's didn't give a sign of life at first, but then awoke with a fierce jolt.

Just like Kurt had before, Blaine seemed confused by his surroundings. Then his eyes landed on the gorgeous boy next to him and grinned brightly, as sleepy as he was.

"G'morning, Blue," he yawned.

"Good morning, B," Kurt replied. "Sorry for waking you, but why am I in your bed?"

Blaine fell back into his pillow with a thud, and yawned again. Kurt could clearly see he was struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Rachel called me last night. She said that you were having terrible nightmares; you were kicking Tina and screaming hard. But they couldn't get you to fully wake up. So they called me to ask what to do. I jumped in my car right away and raced over here. I got you to calm down by holding you and singing to you and went to bed. But then you started again, so I carried you to my room so the girls could get some sleep. I hope that's okay?"

Baffled as one could be, Kurt nodded his head and stuttered a soft yeah. When Blaine's eyes fell shut again, Kurt bent over to him and gave him a little peck on his forehead, which made Blaine smile.

"Thank you," he sighed.

"Always, Blue," Blaine yawned back. Kurt grinned widely, knowing Blaine couldn't see him anyway. The 'always' got to his heart every single time.

"What about David though? You didn't leave him for me, did you? He needed you too."

Blaine, without opening his eyes, pointed somewhere at the end of his bed as answer. Kurt craned his neck, to see over the edge of the bed and saw a mattress, with a clump of blankets covering a teenage boy. A satisfied sigh escaped from his mouth, and in his mind he pictured himself praising Blaine for doing such a thing by giving him a kiss on his lips, which turned into a steamy make-out session. The shivers of excitement that he felt in his abdomen and turned him on, pushed him to step out of the bed and to back away from the handsome guy.

"Where are you going?" Blaine whined right away, fighting against his sleep as he sat up straight.

"Need to use the bathroom," Kurt answered. It wasn't even a lie, he really needed to go. Blaine seemed to be satisfied with that answer and fell back into his pillow, instantly snoring like an old man.

"Such a dork," Kurt muttered under his breath.

He tiptoed across the room and around David to visit the bathroom. On his way back, his eyes fell on the two whiteboards Blaine had hanging on the wall next to his door. He had been in Blaine's room a few times now and had casually looked around, but he never actually had seen what was on the board, nor had he asked Blaine about it.

One of the boards was reserved for notes and letters, but the other one was turned into a big collage of photos of family and friends. He saw pictures of the twins in various ages, from baby pictures – damn, Blaine was super adorable as a baby – to one where they were holding a sign saying first day of school, to one that was taken on a beach during their last vacation.

There were many pictures of the Warblers, in and out their uniforms, and pictures of people Kurt didn't know, but looked enough like the twins to be cousins.

And then there were pictured of him; some of him alone, quite a few with Blaine and one with Rachel and Mercedes. It warmed his heart to know he had earned a spot between people who obviously meant so much to Blaine.

With an inerasable smile, he studied the pictures a bit more, until a sleepy voice called him.

"Kurt, it's still really early. I'll show you those pictures later if you want. Please come back to bed now."

That last request made Kurt almost gasp. His jaw, however, fell, just as much as his eyes popped. He wondered how conscious Blaine actually was, because that was one hell of an intimate sounding request. He didn't protest it though.

He casted one last glance over a picture of Blaine with himself hanging over the boy's shoulder, shuffled towards the bed and stepped in a little hesitant. Nerves washed over him as this was the first time he got into Blaine's bed, to sleep, on his very own. Feeling beyond awkward, he settled himself on the pillow next to Blaine's on his back, stiffly facing the ceiling with an appropriate distance between them.

"What the hell are you doing?" Blaine chuckled sleepily. "C'mere you."

Blaine didn't await a response. Instead he tugged on Kurt's arm until he closed the gap between them and various body parts of them were touching. That still didn't seem to satisfy Blaine, so he gently nudged Kurt on his side and slotted his body completely against Kurt's. His chest against Kurt's back, their legs tangled, one arm under Kurt's head, the other around his chest.

"This okay?" he mumbled.

"Yeah," Kurt answered calmly, though internally he was freaking out because they were spooning. Full on spooning! He arched his but a bit back and yup, that was definitely Blaine's crotch. He turned his head to see of Blaine showed any thoughts about those areas of them joining together, but the boy already seemed peacefully asleep. He let his hand run over Blaine's arm until he could slip it into his and laced their fingers. As he did that, a pair of lips dropped a kiss on his shoulder.

"Sleep!" Blaine demanded.

"Whatever," Kurt huffed jokingly. He could hear Blaine chuckle behind him and fall back asleep. Well, a nap in Blaine's arms definitely couldn't hurt, he thought right before he slumbered into a light sleep.

A few hours later, Blaine awoke with the biggest grin ever. He wanted to roll forward, to lie upon Kurt and smother him with morning hugs, but he fell into an empty, pretty cold spot on his bed, which smelled like Kurt. Then he noticed the voices coming from the end of his bed. Looking up, he saw Kurt and David sitting opposite each other on David's mattress. They were focused on something, like a game, and were discussing David's relationship.

"If you really don't want to lose her," Kurt said, as he placed something between them. "You should tell her you want a good heart-to-heart. No screaming, no accusing, letting each other finished about whatever you have to say, etc. Let her know that you're willing to fight for the two of you."

"She said she doesn't want to talk anymore, and I don't want to push her into anything. But I…damn it, Kurt!" David groaned frustrated, as he grabbed something.

"Sorry," Kurt giggled. "But you were saying?"

"What are you guys doing?" Blaine interrupted in that moment. The two boys bounced up in surprise.

"Hey sleepyhead," Kurt smiled brightly.

"We're talking about Abigail and your boy is totally kicking my ass in Uno. The score is five to one," David explained in a grumble, and held up a pack of about fifteen cards, while Kurt only had one.

"Six to one," Kurt chirped, before placing his last card on the deck.

"I give up!" David cried. He threw his cards with the rest and got up to go sit with Blaine on the bed. Blaine pretended to sooth David, but winked proudly to Kurt when David wasn't looking. Kurt simply grinned back.

"I agree with Kurt, by the way; about the heart-to-hart. I know you love her, that's out of the question. So let her know you're willing to fight for the two of you. Ask her to fight one more time. Try to make her see that what you have is worth it."

"I was about to say to Kurt that I would do that, right before you woke up."

Blaine wanted to reply, but was halted when he suddenly felt his arm being lifted. He only just caught Kurt ducking under it, nestling his head on his chest and curling up at his side. Blaine's arm automatically fell over Kurt and rested on his shoulders, which Blaine didn't mind in the smallest bit.

"I'm going to hog the bathroom first. We can talk about Abigail later again," David said, giving Blaine an all-knowing smirk. Blaine glared evilly back at him, deeming David lucky for the fact that the entire exchange went unnoticed by Kurt.

As soon as the bathroom door closed behind David, Kurt jumped atop of Blaine, straddling his hips and spreading himself all over Blaine's chest. Blaine squeaked in surprise, but then wrapped his arms around Kurt to keep him as close as possible.

"Sorry, I really wanted to do this. You're so warm and you kind of smell really good," Kurt mumbled. "Don't apologise, Blue," Blaine snickered. "I like it when you're being such a cat." _And so fucking cute, _he thought dreamily. His heart melted when Kurt purposely purred.

"Thanks for coming back for me."

"Always," Blaine answered, laughing when Kurt said the word with him in chorus.

"You're a sweetheart," Kurt smiled as he perked up to kiss Blaine's jaw. Blaine turned a bit red, and kissed Kurt right back on his forehead.

"You deserve it."

The two boys cuddled a bit, letting hand roam over backs, sides and chests as they slowly rolled around on the bed. Blaine ended up hovering over a panting Kurt, who looked beyond kissable with his hair all over the place. Kurt slid his arms around Blaine's neck and hoisted himself up to kiss him on the tip of his nose, making him giggle a bit.

"That was fun," Kurt breathed in Blaine's ear. "Really fun. It's kind of nice to just let go for once."

"That wasn't really letting go. You can do so much better," Blaine smirked.

"How?"

"I'll show you," he grinned secretively.

He pecked Kurt's cheek and hopped off the bed. He booted his laptop up, hooked it up on his speakers and loaded Spotify. Kurt didn't know what was going on, until Blaine spun around, yelling along with the opening lines of Wannabe by the Spice Girls. Kurt watched with utter disbelief as Blaine jumped on the bed and danced wildly to the music, effectively using his hips. It took Kurt all effort not to drool.

Blaine grabbed him by the hand and pulled him on to his feet right as he sang, "_I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want_."

Kurt laughed hard and sang right back at him

"_So tell me what you want, what you really really want."_

Then, following Blaine's lead, he jumped up and down on the bed and they kept jumping, singing and most importantly, laughing all through the song. They frequently snatched each other, either to keep balance or to twirl the other.

Neither of them noticed David coming out of the bathroom and watching them from there. He gave them a big applause when they were done, taking them by surprise. So much, that Kurt lost his stance and fell, grabbing Blaine in the process and knocking them both flat on the bed.

"That performance was gold, you guys. Wait till I tell the boys about this!"

"If you tell anyone about this, you can tell Abigail right away that you'll never have kids with her, because I'll rip your balls out," Kurt snapped as he stroked the mop of curls on Blaine's head - who was lying on top of him.

"Damn, you're feisty," David sighed. He was definitely intimidated right now.

"If that doesn't work, I always have a video of you and two guys imitating the Backstreet Boys. I recall you wanting to keep that a secret."

"You were one of those guys, Blaine. That's why you have the video in the first place."

"I don't mind getting it out."

"I said I wouldn't tell, didn't I!"

Blaine was about to bicker back, when Kurt came between them with a shocked expression on his face.

"Woah, there's a video of the two you performing the Backstreet Boys?"

"Eh…yeah," David answered.

"With cheesy choreography and all?"

"Duh," Blaine replied. He was questioning in himself where Kurt was going with this, but then recognised that cute, little mischievous glance in Kurt's eyes.

"Will you guys perform it for me right now?"

David had no chance of saying yes or no, because Kurt had batted his eyes and Blaine agreed right away.

"Whipped," David muttered under his breath. Blaine flipped him off and went to put Everybody by the Backstreet Boys on, while Kurt laid down on his stomach on the bed. David didn't even feel bothered once the intro passed and he and Blaine simultaneously struck a pose as they sang, "_oh my God, we're back again," _with low, sultry voices. The excited, gleeful expression on Kurt's face was worth it, especially after the disastrous night Kurt had had. The fact that Kurt only had eyes for Blaine, didn't take away from the fulfilling feeling he got from this.

At the end of the song Kurt leaped of the bed and ran over to them. David got a quick hug, before Kurt literally bounced into Blaine's arms – Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt a little bit too eager – and laid a big kiss on his cheek.

"You were so good," he squealed on a fangirlish level. Then he turned to David. "You both were great. Thank you for doing that for me."

"Group hug!" David yelled. He and Blaine understood each other right away and actually sandwiched Kurt between them instead. Said boy yelped before fully easing himself in their embrace; he truly felt saved and loved – platonically – in a way he never had outside his home.

The hug lasted a good minute until Rachel dropped by to tell them Liam and Bryan would be taking them all out for brunch, though Mercedes had already left an hour prior so she could attend church with her family. Rachel also passed Mercedes' regards to David and love, hugs and the promise if a phone call to Kurt and Blaine.

"We should shower and get ready," Blaine suggested to Kurt. Kurt agreed and started to lay out his clothes for the day He frowned when he realised he hadn't enough options to satisfy him enough. He turned to Blaine, who was planning his own outfit, as he hummed along with the Jungle Book theme David was playing on his guitar.

"B? Is it okay if I borrow something from you again?" he asked sweetly. He left out the batting of his eyes this time; it seemed like overkill.  
>"You like wearing my clothes way too much," Blaine grinned as he shook his head.<p>

"Your clothes are really nice for someone without a fashion-fetish and they fit me. Getting to borrow your clothes is like expanding my closet without having to spend a dime."

"No need for excuses, Blue," Blaine laughed, gushing internally over how cute was being. "My closet is your closet."

He and David both snickered loudly when Kurt clapped and cried out of joy and jumped into Blaine's walk-in closet. They didn't hear anything for two solid minutes. Kurt emerged with an aubergine coloured dress shirt and a champagne coloured skinny tie.

"Thanks B," he said happily, as he took the items along with his black skinny jeans and his bathing utilities. "I owe you."

"No you don't. I just said my closet was yours," Blaine threw back with a snort.

"Whatever. I'm going to the guest bathroom. I'll see you two downstairs," Kurt retorted with a playful eye roll, and left.

"You. Are. Whipped!" David stated with a victorious smirk.

"I shared a bed with him twice and I spooned with someone for the first time of my life. You can't rain on my parade."

Blaine made a sassy handshake towards David and danced his way into the bathroom. David chuckled, but didn't deny to himself that he was extremely happy for his friend. He just wished one of the boys would finally make a move.

**-oOo-**

After everyone was showered, dressed and ready, they left for the diner the Berry-Anderson's frequently visited for Sunday brunch. Not everyone fitted in one car, so Liam and Bryan took their car, while the teens all piled into Blaine's car. To Blaine's dismay, David had called shotgun before Kurt could, but Kurt had chosen to sit right behind him. Every time they stopped at a traffic light, a hand would brush over his shoulder.

Holding hands just seemed the natural thing to do once they got out of the car. They held hands as they picked seats next to each other. The held hands as they giggly scanned the same menu card together, and Blaine recommended Kurt dishes, until they settled on two they'd share together. They didn't held hands when they ate, but Blaine did scoot closer when they were done, to place his head on Kurt's shoulder and enjoy the feeling of Kurt's arm around him. To everyone in their party, and to several other people in the diner, they looked ridiculously in love.

It was the very reason it was heart wrecking for everyone when it was time for Kurt and Tina to go home. The two had already hugged Rachel and David; Tina moved on to Blaine, while Kurt went to hug Liam and Bryan and thanked them once again for their help. The two men, who'd liked Kurt from the moment they met him, now adored the boy to pieces and assured him everything would be fine.

Tina then came over to thank the two men for their hospitality and Kurt knew he had to go greet the person he dreaded parting from the most. Judging the hurt, watery eyes Blaine was watching him with, he must have been feeling the same. Time seemed to have stopped as they just stood opposite each other, both on the verge of crying, and neither moving yet.

"Kurt," Blaine whimpered. A plea for Kurt to stay was supposed to follow, but it never made it out of his mouth, because he knew it was selfish, not to mention impossible. The sound of his voice, though, was enough to send Kurt running and crashing his body into Blaine's. He buried his face immediately into Blaine's neck.

The slightly shorter boy held him as tightly as he could. He wasn't ready to let Kurt go yet. He doubted he ever would be. They stood like that for a while, not letting an inch of space come between them. Not until Liam clasped them both on the shoulder, announcing reluctantly that they really ought to part for now.

The boys, each softly sobbing, entwined their fingers and walked together to Kurt's car.

"Skype tonight?" Blaine asked, as he opened the driver's door for Kurt.

"I can't. I spent the last few days hanging, laughing, crying and baking with my best friend. Not to mention all the shenanigans we've done together. I'm afraid there'll be a pile of homework waiting for me," Kurt answered, laughing sadly.

That reminded Blaine of his homework he hadn't done yet and he realised he himself had no time for Skype, because he and Kurt could easily lose track of time and talk about nothing for hours.

"Tomorrow?"

"Absolutely!" Kurt smiled. "Text me when as usually?"

"Of course," Blaine nodded. He lovingly kissed Kurt on his cheek and got a similar kiss back. Kurt then climbed into his Navigator, where he got a comforting hug from Tina, who was already waiting in the passenger seat.

The two boys stared at each other once more. Blaine brought a hand to his lips and blew a kiss to Kurt. Kurt repeated the action immediately and made a texting gesture. When Blaine nodded, Kurt pulled up and drove away, en route to the Cohen-Chang residence.

-oOo-

When Kurt finally got home, it felt like he hadn't been there for weeks, even though it just had been two days.

"Hey buddy," Burt greeted him cheerfully from where he was sitting on the couch with Carole by his side. "Haven't seen you in a while. You missed Family Dinner Night."

Kurt laughed softly over his father's joke, and offered his parents a meant apology.

"I'm really sorry. I came home right after Glee to check on an auction for a Burberry messenger bag that was about to end. Then I went to help Rachel with her preparation for an audition and lost track of time."

He saw Finn emerging from the kitchen with a frown. He knew that Finn knew he was lying, but with a subtly glare, he managed to convince him not to say a thing.

"It's okay," Burt said. "Just be there this Friday, okay?" Kurt's nod left Burt satisfied. "By the way, an envelope from Dalton Academy came for you. I left it on your desk."

That had Kurt excited in no time. While it could be from any of the guys he knew there, it would be most likely form Blaine. He rushed upstairs, driven by curiosity, only to be ambushed by Finn in front of his door.

"Why did you lie to Mom and Burt?" The tall teen demanded right away in a hiss. "You disappeared after Glee and nobody knew where you were. I was stressing, until Rachel sent me a text at ten freaking pm! Wherever you went, you went because of the locker room fight. Why didn't you just tell them that?"

"It's not that easy, Finn!" Kurt hissed back, eyeing the stairs for any sudden appearance of their parents. "Dad is sick, remember. I already promised Blaine and Rachel's parents that I'm going to work towards telling him and they're going to help me. Just have patience with me please and don't tell them anything."

Finn softened up as Kurt explained his reasons, and held his arms open for him when he finished. Kurt sighed relieved and went in on the invitation. The two brothers hugged it out as well as they could. When they parted, Finn kept his hand on Kurt's shoulder.

"You're my bro, Kurt. Not like the boys from Glee, but my actual brother. I care so much about you. I don't show it enough, I know, but I wished you let me in more. I understand if you don't give me as much as you give Blaine, but give me something more. Those warm milk nights don't always have to be about me, you know."

Kurt looked astonished at Finn's sudden interest, and felt overwhelmed at the same time. Finn had been trying so hard to strengthen their bond lately, and he proved himself with this even more. Kurt couldn't impossibly deny him this.

"I will, Finn. I promise."

The older teen pumped a fist in the air and hugged Kurt once more.

"Awesome bro. Hey, if you don't mind, do you think I could help with the telling our parents thing?"

"Eh…sure. I could use the support. Thank you, Finn. Really, thank you so much."

Finn held a fist out for him and he pounded it with a loud laugh, before Finn disappeared in the next bedroom.

Entering his own, he saw the envelope his dad mentioned right away. He spared no time ripping it open and found a plasticised paper with a post-it on it. It was most definitely from Blaine. He recognised the handwriting from the little encouraging notes Blaine always managed to slip between his stuff whenever they were out for coffee or when he's sleeping over.

_Hi Blue,_

_I know I promised to send you our original bucket list – we're going to NYC together Kurt! – but I thought you might like this one more. I'm so excited already and we're not even past half our junior year._

_X,_

_Your future NYC-companion/awesomest best friend/B_

_p.s._

_The card is from the boys. I had nothing to do with that._

He casted a look over the paper and for a second didn't know how to react. His breathing hitched though and his eyes welled up, because Blaine's creation was simply beautiful. He had typed their list out and photoshopped it on a parchment. The parchment was framed by Polaroid-shaped pictures of landmarks and playbills on their list and various photos of the two of them.

He felt something sticking to the back of the paper and found the card Blaine mentioned in his post-it. It had a picture of a sad puppy on the front, with the line 'I miss you' written in a corner. When he turned around, he let out a loud snort.

_Hey loser, come visit us!_

It was written in a rather neat handwriting, and it was signed by a bunch of Warblers and Blaine's roommate Elliott.

He almost started crying over how perfect it all was and how perfect Blaine's was and how much he wanted to do this with him. Instead he grabbed his phone and called the number he by now knew by heart. It only rang twice before an overly cheerful voice answered.

"Hey Blue, did you get home safely."

"I did, so did Tina. But that's not why I'm calling you."

"It isn't?"

"No. You see, I found some mail from Dalton Academy when I came home."

"Did you now?"

Kurt could practically hear the smirk in Blaine's voice.

"Hmmm, yes. My best friend is the sweetest guy I've ever met and he made me this gorgeous collage for our bucket list. And his friends are batshit crazy!"

"Kurt Hummel, did you just say shit?"

"No, I said batshit."

"Damn."

They both broke out it laughter, which on Blaine's side was broken up by mumbling, presumably from David.

"shutupwearenotflirting," Kurt heard Blaine hissing at David. He didn't think anything of it, because they did tend to do that sometimes; slipping into a flirty conversation. But that never lead to anything. Besides, even guys like Noah and Mike sometimes did that; it was sort of a bro thing.

He lay down comfortably on his bed and proceeded to talk with Blaine about the bucket list. Blaine admitted to have printed a version of his own and it was now hanging above his bed at Dalton. He also planned to print one for his room at home. A knock on his door disturbed them. It was Burt, who fondly smiled at his son joking around with his friend.

"Kurt, I get that you love talking to Blaine, but nobody in this house has seen you since Friday morning. Come downstairs and spent a little time with your family."

Kurt nodded and asked for a minute to say good bye to Blaine. He knew how much Burt valued family time ever since he had that heart attack and he had started to appreciate it more himself as well. Since Blaine was very much aware of it too, he didn't mind it the slightest bit when Kurt told him he had to go.

"I'll text you later. And you better bring your cute face on Skype tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure thing. Bye B"

"Bye Blue."

They made a kissing sound towards each other and as soon as the line disconnected, Kurt squealed while excitedly kicking his feet on the bed. Blaine had called him cute; week made!

* * *

><p><strong>Official procastinator here! Thank you guys for the comments on the last three parts that made chapter 12. The response to it was really amazing. The party chapter will hopefully be in the first to next chapter (but count on it that it will be most likely the one after, so the second to next) and it will be...interesting. FYI: I changed my penname to AreWeAllForgotten. The one I wanted was taken so I took my Tumblr url.<strong>


	17. Chapter 14

Monday was not a particular good day for Blaine. From the moment he woke up, he had been in some sort of funk. He figured out the reason fairly fast; he seriously missed Kurt.

After having the privilege to sleep next to his crush twice – well, more like sleeping completely tangled up with him – waking up alone wasn't so pleasant. Just the thought of Kurt's warm pressed up against his, of Kurt's arms and legs around him; of Kurt's head on his chest and the sweet scent of his hair and cologne had Blaine distracted from reality.

So far he had tripped over the rug next to his bed, burnt his hand under the scalding hot water of his shower and he had dropped his jar of hair gel, which had broken and spilt its content all over the floor. The anger he had over that lead to him knocking his coffee over his Italian book during breakfast, forgetting to bring his essay for history and messing up a pop quiz for French.

On top of that he spilt spaghetti sauce over his uniform and banged his knee against a table.

Now he was on the soccer field and he was in such a bad mood that it caused him to play on his absolute worst. Never before had he had such a bad day on the field. He was screwing up simple passes, got tackled too often because he wasn't paying enough attention, and that clear shot on goal should've gone in and not far over.

By the time break time came along and his coach directed yet another shake of the head at him, he was as pissed as one could get. He shrugged of various team members who came over to check if he was okay. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate their concern, but you'd think that after politely dismissing two guys, the other seven would take a hint.

He was one of the last at the water barrel, and just as he filled his cup, someone tapped his shoulder form behind.

"I'm fine!" he growled agitated as he turned around. One of his team members and fellow junior, Riley, held up his hands in defence and took a step back.

"Sorry dude. I just wanted to ask you if you had seen that your boyfriend is here."

"I don't have a boyfriend," Blaine frowned.

"Then who's the guy who's been sitting up there in the bleachers for the past ten minutes?"

Blaine followed the direction Riley was pointing at. His breathing hitched and for a second he thought he was imagining it, but that wasn't true because Riley saw him as well. Up in the bleachers, sipping from a Lima Bean cup, was Kurt.

Kurt caught Blaine looking at him and waved excitedly. Blaine returned the wave and blew him a kiss, which Kurt then returned.

"Not your boyfriend, huh?" Riley chuckled behind him.

"Shut up," Blaine mumbled, blushing.

"Future boyfriend?"

"Fucking hope so!"

"Well, good luck then."

And with that, Riley was gone. Blaine turned to Kurt again and motioned that he had to go back on the field, to which Kurt responded with a thumbs up. Kurt being there evaporated his bad mood and sparked an amazing energy at the same time. He was playing at his usual level in no time, maybe even better.

At the end of practise, he tried to get to Kurt as fast as possible, but got halted his coach, who seemed to need forever to tell him how impressed he was by his comeback and hoped he could bring that energy to every match. Before the coach could even properly dismiss him, he ran. He didn't even realise it at first, but his feet were running and damn fast too. He was so focused on getting to Kurt that it barely sunk in that Kurt had gotten up and was making his way towards the stairs.

Like a pro athlete, he jumped over the fence surrounding the field and bolted up the stairs. Somewhere in the middle, Kurt waited for him with arms wide open and inviting; a huge smile was stretched over his face. He ran straight in those arms, locking his arms around Kurt and literally lifting him from the ground. He spun him around a few times while Kurt wrapped his arms around his neck.

"You're here," Blaine mumbled, slightly out of breath, after putting Kurt back on his feet. Neither even had bothered to attempt to let the other go.

"Surprise!" Kurt replied from where his face tucked in Blaine's neck.

"Kurt! You're…I mean…how…whoa!" Blaine stammered; they had finally parted. Kurt just joined their hands and laced their finger before tugging Blaine up the stairs, to where he sat and his bag and coffee still were and where they sat down next to each other. Kurt immediately thrust a second cup into Blaine's hands.

"I bought you a Medium Drip, but I think it's cold now," he pouted.

"Don't worry about it. I'll reheat it in the kitchen. But Kurt, you are here!"

"Yeah, I know," Kurt giggled. "Remember the Winter Fair in Lima Mercedes and Tina were talking about Saturday? Well, it turns out they're having this charity event with the cinema. There's a double feature of romantic movies. I wanted to go, but every girl in Glee club with a boyfriend is going and bringing their boyfriend, and I didn't feel like sitting amongst couples sucking face like a thirteenth wheel.

"And one of my stepmom's colleagues has a birthday dinner. She's going and my dad is going with her. I would've been home alone probably all night, and I didn't feel like it. I figured I have a best friend who I haven't seen in a good 24 hours, and other friends, who demanded in a very Mean Girl-esque way that I come visit them. So I drove out here."

"Though I really cringe at the thought of my sister sucking face with someone, I'm so glad you're here, Blue. I don't think the boys saw you but they'll be ecstatic once they know you're here."

Kurt chuckled at the mention of Rachel. He, however, quickly discovered the not-so-hidden sombre tone on Blaine's voice and he certainly didn't miss the sad tone in the boy's eyes.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" he asked softly, taking both of Blaine's hands in his and kissing the back of one of them.

"To be honest, I had a god-awful day. Training was even worse…until you showed up."

"Blaine…" Kurt whispered, like he didn't believe him.

"It's true though," Blaine shrugged as if it were nothing. "You make me happy just by being around."

For a second he thought he had said something wrong because of the way Kurt blinked at him and dropped his hands, but doubt washed away when instead, he jumped into his lap and wrapped him in a warm hug.

"I'm torn about how to feel about your hair gel," Kurt seriously said as he pressed their foreheads together and let his fingers ghosts over the hairs in the nape of Blaine's neck.

"You look so dapper with gelled hair and it sort of highlights the adorable faces you often make. But I also love you curls and I love playing with your curls and I want to do so right now but I can't because you have them gelled." Kurt pouted sadly, making Blaine laugh softly as he moved to rest his head on Kurt's shoulder.

"To be honest, I love it when you play with my hair, but Dapper Blaine fits the image of a sophisticated Dalton student. I'll wash it out for you, if you want me to. I use soccer practise as an excuse to walk around gel-free quite often."

"You don't have to, though it would be nice. But talking about showers, you smell like you've just had an intense soccer practise."

"Well, if you take your tush off my lap, I can hit the showers."

Kurt obliged with a giggle after kissing Blaine on his forehead. The latter waited patiently for Kurt to hang his messenger bag around his neck and fastened his scarf, so he could lace their fingers and saunter together towards the locker rooms.

They chatted freely over the Lima Winter Fair and made plans to go together coming Saturday, when Kurt froze right before the door of the locker rooms.

"I'll wait out here," he stammered awkwardly.

"Don't be silly. You can wait in there, nobody will mind."

"I'd really rather stay here," Kurt urged, as he pried his hands out of Blaine's and stepped backwards. The wide eyes Kurt made clicked things together in mind. Thanks to the McKinley jocks, Kurt felt very uncomfortable in a locker room.

"Fuck, of course," Blaine muttered. "Listen, I'll tell the guys to hurry up and take you to our common room, and I'll shower as fast as I can. Alright?"

Kurt nodded relieved, and sat down on a bench in the hall as Blaine disappeared inside. He decided to play Temple Run to kill the time. He just accidentally ran off a cliff, when someone nudged him in the arm. Looking up, he found Elliott, Blaine's roommate, waving at him as he passed with two friends. He waved back and watched Elliott's friends curiously asking the boy about him, only to be startled by the door of the locker room opening with a loud bang. Kurt jumped up in fright. Fright however wasn't needed; an enthusiastic blonde ran out and grinned at him.

"Kurt! You really came!" Jeff yelled out, running towards him and scooping him into a hug. Jeff was soon followed by Nick, who hugged him even harder.

"I thought Blaine was pranking us when he said you were waiting out here. Then again, he was suddenly too happy, even for his normal self," Nick told him. He moved aside so Wes could greet Kurt and it was David who laid an arm around Kurt's shoulder and lead him to the common room. On the way there, he got bestowed by an avalanche of questions from the boys

"When did you get here? How long will you be staying? Did you get our card? You got the Mean Girl reference? We knew you were awesome!"

They dropped him off at the common room and all went to their respective rooms to store away their soccer equipment and to pick up their books for homework. Kurt didn't mind so much, because he spotted Trent sitting at one of the large tables in the room hunched over what seemed a sketch. He sneaked up on the kid from behind, and placed his hands over Trent's eyes.

Trent yelped out in confusion, before he laughed and made a couple of guessed about who it could possibly be. After a few fails, Kurt finally revealed himself. Trent laid his eyes on him and jumped up out of his seat to hug him. The two of them had frequent contact since they'd become pretty good friends, and both Trent and his boyfriend, Matt, shared Kurt's level of fashion interest, so the three of them and Blaine often had conversations about that very topic.

While Trent continued sketching – it was homework for art class – they talked about how they were doing, and waited for the other boys to trickle in one by one. Several books for various subjects were placed on the table - a sign for Kurt to take out his own. He didn't actually start though, because Trent had him distracted with pictures on his phone he was going to share with Kurt anyway. Most were of Matt in designer clothes he had found for a considerably low price.

"Oh I love this," Kurt exclaimed softly over an outfit Matt was wearing in a new photo. It was an ensemble by Viktor & Rolf, existing out of a simple black blazer with matching dress pants. The lapels of the blazer were outlined with cobalt blue satin, and the dress shirt Matt was wearing under it was of the same fabric; the same went for the large scarf around his neck.

"He looks so cute!" he gushed. Trent nodded proudly.

"Who's cute?" A third voice asked. The person wrapped his arms around Kurt from behind and rested his chin on Kurt's shoulder. Fondly glancing sideways, Kurt smiled and slipped a few fingers in Blaine's curls.

"You are."

Kurt said it so easy and casually, that Blaine thought it was most likely a joke, but it still took him so by surprise that he drew a sharp breath. Judging the anticipating looks of several Warblers who had heard Kurt, he wasn't the only one who thought it wasn't just a joke. So he put up his confident face and pecked Kurt on his temple.

"You are too."

Kurt grinned brightly, his gorgeous blue eyes sparkling from joy. He dug his fingers from Blaine's hair and tenderly glided them across Blaine's cheek.

"Join us?" he asked sweetly.

"Give me five," Blaine answered, as he rubbed his nose right under Kurt's ear, knowing the other boy was rather sensitive there and it would feel ticklish to him. "I need to ditch my bag and grab my homework from my room."

"Hurry then, and come sit with me."

"Aye aye, sir!"

Fully automatically, they took each other's hands and gave a little squeeze, before Blaine bolted out of the room and two levels up. He'd only just reached his room, when a voice behind him spoke up.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Blaine?" Nick barked. He just stormed into the room and fully ignored the way Blaine raised an eyebrow.

"What?" Blaine huffed. He honestly didn't feel like dealing with anyone who wasn't Kurt; especially not Nick and his 'shipping' ways.

"Kurt's fucking flirting with you, practically throwing the door wide open for you and you walk away. I can't believe you!"

"Please not now, Nick," Blaine groaned, as he threw his soccer shoes under his bed and proceeded to hang out the clothes and towel in his bag.

"Now is perfect," Nick decided for them. "That guy comes all the way out here for you; Lays out an invitation for you to tell him how you feel and to ask him out. You two could've been together right now."

"Oh shut up!" Blaine spat irritated. He dropped the shirt he had in his hands and stomped over to Nick, kicking his sport bag along the way. Angrily he jabbed a finger in Nick's chest. The other boy was taken aback by Blaine's sudden anger, and then just confused.

"It's awesome of you that you support Kurt and I like we're some of your OTPs, but we're real people with real feelings. We're not characters in one of your fanfictions, who find out in some coincidental, super romantic way that they are in love with each other, have the most epic first kiss and stay together forever. It's not like you write a couple of words and I go from insecure about outing my feelings to this brave hero who comes clean about everything."

Blaine sighed deeply, and dropped down on the nearest bed – Elliott's - looking up at Nick defeated.

"That guy out there…I'm madly in love with him, and I mean way over my head madly. I know I promised you I would tell him about it, but that doesn't mean I'm any less scared."

Nick shook his head and sat down next to his friend. He clapped him on the shoulder and offered him a comforting smile.

"You have nothing to be scared about, dude. Kurt likes you too."

"I know."

"I mean it, Blaine. He likes…wait, what?" Nicked gaped at him.

"I know," Blaine repeated. "I know he likes me. He wouldn't be as close with me as we are. Sometimes we act so much like a couple, that it would be weird if he didn't like me. But that's not why I'm scared. I'm afraid that he just likes me, because he loves being affectionate with another guy and that he isn't actually in love with me like I am with him. He's never hinted at that being the case."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to tell him like I promised. I think I've found a way to do it without making an ass out of myself and your party's perfect for it. I just hope I can keep the courage I've collected so far. I'm either going to get a boyfriend out of this or get my heart terribly broken and maybe even lose the best friend I have ever had."

"No wonder you're scared," Nick chuckled sadly. "But I'm willing to bet everything I own that you will get a boyfriend out of this. That kid is crazy about you, man. Whatever you do, we all have your back and if you need anything, just say so!"

"Well, since the party is out your house, you could help me with something essential…"

"You've been gone a while," Kurt said with a small cute pout as soon as he spotted Blaine entering the common room – which was ridiculously soon; as if he had an inner radar that spotted Blaine instantly.

"Nick thought that one of his notebooks might have ended up between my books. He can't find it, so we searched my room," Blaine efficiently lied, while motioning at the boy trailing behind him. Nick just nodded, ignoring the frowns of the other guys as he walked around them to take his spot between Wes and Jeff.

"We couldn't find it though. So I'll go through my own stuff again later," Nick shrugged. For once Blaine was glad that his friend's cunning ways made him such an easy liar. The topic was dropped once Blaine had taken a chair from another table and set it between Kurt and Thad. Kurt immediately had pulled the chair towards him and laced his hand with Blaine's.

This soon proved very difficult to do their homework while holding hands with both of them being right handed. Kurt settled his left hand on Blaine's thigh instead. It wasn't sexual and seeing as Blaine would hold it whenever he didn't need to write, he obviously didn't mind it.

As usual, the group worked so well together that they finished their homework quite fast, considering the amount of it. The whole group went out to have dinner in the cafeteria and afterwards retreated back to the room Nick and Jeff shared, because a few students had requested the use of the TV in the common room.

Kurt and Blaine sort of sauntered behind the rest on their way from the cafeteria to Nick and Jeff's room, while Blaine explained the difference between a corner and a goal kick in soccer to Kurt. At the dorm room, Blaine gently pushed Kurt inside, but stayed behind himself.

"I need to go to my room real quick to plug my phone into the charger. Be right back, okay."

Kurt nodded, yet unsurely shuffled into the room, not knowing where it was okay to sit. Most boys got a chair or pillow out of their own rooms, and there were a few who couldn't be bothered and sat down on the carpet in front of Jeff's bed.

Worry wasn't needed though; Nick noticed him standing.

"You can sit right here next to David," he smiled, to which Kurt gratefully grinned.

"Hey, why does he get to sit on the bed," one of the sophomore Warblers in the room joked. "I thought you guys had a strict nobody-but-David-on-the-beds-because-David-makes-no-mess rule."

"If you get me an A in French, you get to sit on my bed too," Nick snapped back and sat down on the other side of David.

As Blaine had promised, he returned right away. He scanned the room for his best friend, while Kurt watched him amused. The moment Blaine's eyes landed on him, shifted to the bed and back on him, a shiver went down his spine.

Then, Blaine made a straight line towards him, not stopping nor taking his eyes off of him. Kurt gulped, but grinned brighter as Blaine came closer. The curly-headed boy halted right before him, nudged his legs open with the most adorable puppy eyes Kurt had ever seen on him and plopped his butt between them. He scooted backwards until he couldn't anymore and leaned back so his back was resting against Kurt's chest and his head was comfy on Kurt's shoulder.

"Is this okay?" he asked in a whisper.

"It's more than perfect," Kurt answered. He kissed Blaine lovingly on his temple and slipped his arms under Blaine's to hold him close.

"Good," Blaine smiled; Kurt felt him relax completely. "I'm really glad you're here, Blue."

"me too, sweety."

With everybody in the room - except Kurt - being a Warbler, it didn't take long before someone broke out in song. Kurt watched in awe as a gorgeous A capella harmony of The Beatles' Yesterday unfolded before him. Blaine remained quiet, nuzzling his nose against Kurt's smooth jaw line and savouring the delicious smell of said boy's cologne.

After the song finished, the boys in the room exchanged satisfied glances and some clapped each other on the shoulder. They didn't sound as good as they did when they were with the full group, but it was still very decent for their doing. It startled nearly everyone when enthusiastic applause rang through the room, as that only happened during a performance. All eyes fell on the elf-like boy with a lap full of smitten-Blaine, and a big wave of realisation wept through the room; they had a non-Warbler and non-Dalton student in their midst.

"I take it you enjoyed out song," Wes asked on behave of everyone.

"Yes!" Kurt exclaimed immediately. "I have no words to describe how good you guys are. And you are so in tune with each other. I'm slightly jealous of your dynamic."

"Do you sing?" a shy small freshman asked, clearly fascinated by and even a little bit infatuated with Kurt. One cold, foul glare from Blaine had the poor kid scurrying away and Blaine's closer friends snickering.

"I do. I'm in a Glee club with Blaine's sister; the New Directions."

"Nude Erections," a lanky sophomore chuckled to the guy next to him, just loud enough for Blaine to catch it and reprimand him.

"Cut that out McFadden. That's not the way Dalton men treat guests!"

"It's okay, Blaine," Kurt smiled, squeezing Blaine's hand. "Some guys in my Glee club still make that joke sometimes."

Then he moved his lips to Blaine ear and whispered, "Thank you for defending me though." He kissed him right behind his ear and focussed on the group, pretending not to feel Blaine shiver in his arms.

"Can you sing for us?" The same freshman asked. The boy threw a pretty scared glance at Blaine, who was visibly fuming of jealousy and mouthed 'back off' at him. The freshman gulped, but very boldly added, "You sound like you have a beautiful voice."

"Wow, thank you," Kurt said flustered to the boy. "Sure, I could sing you some-"

"I know a good song," Blaine interrupted him, as he flew out of Kurt's lap and kneeled before him, blocking his view of the enamoured freshman. Kurt seemed quite surprised by Blaine's actions; the rest of the group snickered over Blaine's blatant jealousy.

"Just follow my lead, okay?"

Kurt nodded. Blaine took a deep breath and started to sing.

_I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose.  
>Fire away, fire away.<em>

Kurt lit up the moment he recognised the song and wasted no effort in finding the right pitch to harmonise with Blaine on the next set of lyrics.

_Ricochet, you take your aim.  
>Fire away, fire away.<em>

All the boys in the room were intrigued. Some by the range of Kurt's voice, others by how well Kurt and Blaine's voices went together. The song went on; Kurt's voice went higher. The Warblers fell completely silent.

_Shoot me down, but I won't fall.  
>I am titanium.<br>You shoot me down, but I won't fall.  
>I am titanium.<em>

The boys closed the little snippet in almost perfect unison. The room was dead silent for a minute and the Warblers interrupted in loud applause and wolf whistling.

"Kurt?" Wes said, dropping down on one knee before the bed and grabbing his hand as if he was going to propose. "Please, please, please, drop out of McKinley and enroll here so we can add you to the Warblers. I'll pay your tuition myself if I have to."

"I will too!" a random voice spoke up; a few others agreed.

Blushing, Kurt clasped his free hand over Wes'.

"You know I can't Wes."

Wes feignedbeing deeply hurt, making Kurt giggle, and got up from the floor.

"It was worth trying. Just know we'll always have a spot for you. The New Directions don't know what kind of gem they have and it's pure talent going to waste."

"Geez Wes, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to flirt with Kurt. Don't you think so, Blaine?" Jeff smirk, grinning teasingly in Blaine's way. Blaine glared back, hoping Kurt didn't think much of it

"Anything to get the best of the best on my squad," Wes fiercely stated as returned to his spot.

"Well Wes is right," Blaine spoke up. "Kurt is a rare talent. He'd be a fantastic addition to the group. Our group, Wes. Not just yours."

Wes muttered something about being in charge and got into a squabble with David and Thad over the council, but it went past Blaine, because he was proudly beaming at Kurt and Kurt was doing it back.

"You are amazing," Blaine mouthed at him. Kurt smiled so bright, reached over to him and harshly tugged him back into his lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around Blaine, snuggling closer and burying his face in Blaine's neck.

Blaine responded by reaching a hand back, and slipping it behind Kurt's neck, being very careful not to touch Kurt's hair too much. When that position became too forced, Blaine twisted his entire body so he could lay his arms loosely around Kurt's waist. He sighed contently when Kurt pressed their foreheads together.

"We're titanium," Kurt whispered so softly it was only audible for Blaine.

"We are," Blaine confirmed with a loving smile. Both closed their eyes and drifted closer until the tips of their noses were touching and they were sharing breaths.

"Anyone want to pitch a new song for us to sing?" Nick asked the group, breaking up the discussion David, Wes and Thad had going on, but also snapping Kurt and Blain out of their little bubble.

"I know a song," Blaine said, as he leaned his back against Kurt's chest again.

"Not Katy Perry," Kurt snapped.

"But Kurt…" Blaine pouted as well as he could; though Kurt wasn't having it.

"No. Katy. Perry."

"But-"

"I swear to God, Blaine. If you pick her, I'm going home right now!" Kurt hissed through his teeth. That effectively shut Blaine up.

"Oh my God, I love this kid," a senior Warbler snorted to his pal.

"Is Coldplay okay?" Blaine asked his crush, looking as sad as a kicked puppy.

"Coldplay is fine," Kurt smiled sweetly and kissed Blaine on his temple. Blaine sighed; ignoring the way David muttered 'whipped' at him, and set in Clocks.

**-oOo-**

Time passed as the boys sang and joked around. Knowing his parents would be home late, Kurt didn't even bother to keep to his curfew; Finn wouldn't either. He felt a bit too comfortable between the Warblers and with Blaine in his lap and found himself daydreaming about boarding at Dalton more than once.

However, as it got later, he got more tired. Not normal tired, but really exhausted, out of nowhere. He also suddenly had an inexplicable head ache and when did it get so cold? Blaine's shoulder seemed like a really comfy pillow and he made good use out of it.

Blaine stopped paying attention to the general chat that was happening to throw him a little affectionate glance, but took notice of Kurt's rapid change of condition instead.

"Blue, what's wrong? You're shivering."

"It's cold," Kurt yawned sleepily. "And I have a headache."

"Do you want my hoodie?"

"If you don't mind."

Blaine took off his hoodie in a blink of an eye and helped Kurt in it. Then he urged Kurt to get up so they could switch places. Kurt sat next to him, tucked himself under his friend's arm and immediately dozed off into a nap.

Trent, who'd hurried over right away, seated himself next to Kurt and carefully laid the back of his hand against Kurt's forehead, cheek and neck.

"He's warm."

"He did complain about someone coughing over him earlier," Blaine frowned. "He was hoping he didn't catch anything. Seems he's out of luck."

"What should we do now?"

"It's probably best if he wakes up and goes home before it gets worse. But maybe it's actually smart to let him nap a bit. He might feel better from it."

Blaine stayed tight-lipped about the selfish thoughts he had: letting Kurt nap was more about keeping him longer at Dalton than it was about his health. But if it was necessary, he'd drive Kurt all the way to Lima himself.

His friends backed his plan up somehow. Nick shooed the sophomores and the two freshmen amongst them to their own dorm building and the juniors and seniors who were left all followed Wes and David to their room. With full permission of Nick, Blaine let Kurt sleep on his bed and lay down next to him.

For the next half hour, they lay in a spooning position with Blaine protectively holding Kurt, in the dark, with no other sounds than their breathing. It was so very peaceful and if it wasn't for Kurt becoming ill, this impromptu school day cuddle slash nap would've been perfect.

"Blaine?" a drowsy, low voice groaned, when the alarm Blaine had set went off.

"Yeah, it's me. I'm here. How do you feel?"

"Like crap."

Kurt sighed deeply and flipped 180 degrees to crawl against Blaine's body in search for warmth and comfort, for he felt cold again.

"I don't want to go home," he whispered sadly.

"If it helps, I don't want you to go home either," Blaine smiled and kissed Kurt atop his head.

"Not helping at all, Blaine!" Kurt scolded back.

They decided on staying a few more minutes, which they spent in a way too intimate embrace. Blaine was laying half on Kurt. He had one of his legs between the other boy's thighs. He had a good, solid grip and Kurt's hip - which at first it was definitely above clothes, but after some pulling and tugging on Kurt's behalf, his hand was now in contact with Kurt's warm skin; Blaine couldn't help stroking towards Kurt's waist.

His upper body was draped over Kurt's; his face in Kurt's neck. The latter had complained over a starting throat ache and Blaine was peppering little kisses in Kurt's neck, right over the spot of Kurt's pain. Not that it helped any with the pain being internal, but Kurt clearly enjoyed it and seemed to relax.

Blaine, on the contrary, heated up and lost control over his feelings way too fast. The light, playful pecks turned into serious, lingering kisses. Kurt never stopped him or showed any signs of being uncomfortable about it, so he moved in deeper, placing a few open-mouth kisses before cupping Kurt's neck and downright _sucking _on the sweet smelling skin. The tip of his tongue created a little wet trail as his lips moved along the curve of the warm neck. The heavy rise and fall of the chest under him in sync with his own encouraged him only more.

A soft gasp slipped from Kurt's mouth as he threw his head back – exposing his neck even more – and arched his back, brought Blaine back to reality. His senses returned and made him realise how deep they were into this. Wide-eyed and scared he backed up against the wall, leaving a slightly undone Kurt to breath out his bliss.

"I'm so sorry, Blue. I got a little carried away there.

Smiling softly, Kurt crossed his legs, reached over to him and pulled him right back on top of him, wrapping his arms around him. Despite the darkness possessing the room, Blaine could see how tired Kurt was as his crush placed a little kiss on his cheek.

"Don't worry about it. It's…uhm…rather…uhm…unconventional for friends to do that, I guess. But I liked it more than I should."

"You did?" Blaine asked astonished.

As a response, Kurt smiled and placed his parted lips over Blaine's Adam's apple. An open-mouthed kiss was followed by soft sucking and tiny licks.

"Holy fuck," Blaine muttered. Fighting to not to get too lost in the heavenly pleasure he was experiencing; he pulled away from Kurt and knelt beside him. He had both arms locked between his legs to block the view from his now very present boner.

"I get why you like that. I get it 100%," he confessed with a flushed face.

Kurt simply grinned, closed his eyes and sunk back into the pillows.

"You look worse," Blaine worried out loud while caressing Kurt's cheek; the way Kurt leaned into his touch made him think of a cat. "I'll take you home."

"That's so sweet of you, B, but you can't."

"Of course I can. I'll drive your car and ask one of the guys to follow us in their car so I can drive back with them. David might do it."

"No, that's not what I mean." Kurt grabbed his phone from the night stand and flashed the screen to Blaine. It contained a super-cosy photo of the two of them and most importantly, the time; it was late. "You have stricter curfew than I do and your curfew will strike by the time we reach Lima, and that's if we leave right now. I'm not going to put you in trouble, Blaine."

"Kurt…" Blaine whined sadly.

"I'm going to say goodbye to the others. I'll be right back. Okay?" Kurt kissed Blaine's cheek and forehead and left Blaine in dark. The later absently stroked his Adam's apple, while staring at the door Kurt disappeared through.

When Kurt returned from Wes and David's room, Blaine was already waiting for him in the hall, leaning against Nick and Jeff's door.

"David had a great idea," Kurt announced as he approached Blaine. "I'll drive home myself and if I feel like I can't handle it anymore, I'll pull over and call Finn to come get me. And if Finn can't, I'll call someone from my dad's garage."

"Sound reasonable," Blaine replied with an approving nod. "Promise me that you'll really pull over if it becomes too much?"

Kurt giggled - one could not describe how cute and yet so hot an over-concerned Blaine was - and nodded.

"I swear."

Blaine sighed. He wasn't very satisfied with this arrangement but he knew he wouldn't get his way otherwise; Kurt was too stubborn to cave in to that.

"Well, let me get my coat so I can walk you to your car."

"Don't"

Blaine looked up confused and cocked his head.

"You don't want me to get my coat? It's really cold outside right now."

"No," Kurt said softly, averting his eyes to the floor. "Don't walk me to my car."

"Kurt!" Blaine shrieked right away. "Don't do that to me. Don't fucking do that me!"

The boy broke out in sobbing and ran to his best friends; he flew into his arms and clutched onto his jacket for dear life.

"I'm so sorry, B," Kurt whimpered; his voice was as broken as Blaine's. He wrapped his arms around Blaine and started to leave small, soothing kisses in his curls.

"Why?" Blaine sobbed as he pressed his face deeper into Kurt's neck.

"Blaine, look at me." Kurt pushed him off and took his crush's face between his hands, forcing him to look him in the eyes. "If you go outside with me right now, I'm not going in my car and I won't leave. I'm going to stay here with you, I just know it."

"Then stay! Stay here with me," Blaine pleaded; tears streamed freely over his face.

"I want to." Kurt cried unashamed, not holding any feelings back. "You know I want to, but we both know I can't. I need to go home, B."

Blaine cried now too, causing the two boys to fall in each other's arms for comfort.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Kurt whispered hoarsely.

"Don't be," Blaine eventually answered. "Kiss?" he asked then quietly, leaning forward at the same time. Kurt smiled warmly and leaned in as well, to place a kiss on the far corner of Blaine's mouth. Blaine gave him back on the same spot and they hugged once more.

A door opening down the hall made them break apart because they heard Nick, Jeff, Wes, David and Trent coming out. The group observed the two broken-hearted boys and directly sprung to action.

"Come on, Kurt. Jeff and I will take you to your car," Nick offered, while he and Jeff each hooked their arms in Kurt's. Kurt let them take him away, knowing he wouldn't walk away himself. But at the end of the corridor, he stopped and unhooked his arm from Nick to throw Blaine one last blow-kiss and to see Blaine blowing one back along with a promise to call him.

As soon as Kurt was out of sight, Blaine ran to the window overlooking the parking lot, waiting for the three boys to appear. He didn't notice his friends following him until David placed a hand on his shoulder.

"First yesterday; now this. You need to do something, Blaine. This circling around each other is not healthy for either of you."

"I know," Blaine answered. "I've spoken about it with Nick earlier. I'm going to talk with Kurt at Nick's party and I have a plan. Will you guys help?"

"Of course!" the three boys cried out. Blaine smiled at them before going back to staring out of the window from where he could see the others finally appearing. He stayed there until Kurt was gone. When the Navigator was fully out of sight, Blaine walked to his room, determined to prepare his plan already. This Friday everything was going to change.

* * *

><p><strong>My apologies for taking so long again. I've struggled to get this on paper for so long. I envy those who post daily.<strong>

**I made a music post on the Lovestruck page of my Tumblr, and it has links for all the songs in this chapter so you can listen for yourself how they should sound. You can find that on the bottom: areweallforgotten*tumblr*com/ lovestruck I'll include a picture from Matt's outfit on here to in case you're curious**

**Finally, I want to thank all of you who commented on the last chapter, you made my day once again. And if you just read, that's awesome too!**


	18. Chapter 15

Tuesday it was clear: Kurt was sick. It had broken through overnight. Blaine had a hunch about it when Kurt didn't respond to his daily text to wish him a good morning, nor to any other text he sent during the day. Only at the end of his school day did he receive a text back from the other boy in which he apologised for ignoring Blaine's messages. He had been asleep for the biggest part of the day and still he felt like utter crap. It was safe to say Kurt was not up for their daily Skype chat, but they still talked a few minutes on the phone.

On Wednesday, Kurt texted Blaine during lunch to inform he was still sick, indirectly notifying him that their weekly coffee date was off. It was easily the favourite moment of the week for both boys, so needless to say neither was happy in that moment. A brilliant idea hit Blaine not long after and he set it in motion right after his last class of the day let out. He just hoped the Lima Mall had everything he needed.

After quite the amount of solo-shopping - which absolutely sucked compared to strolling around the mall with Kurt - he found himself standing on the doorstep of the Hummel-Hudson's; a beautiful red and golden gift bag and a brown paper bag from the Lima Bean in hand.

He heard some shuffling and grunting after having pressed the bell, and not longer after could he distinguish the silhouette of Burt Hummel behind the thick, frosted glass of the front door

"Blaine?" Burt asked surprised, once he laid his eyes on the chipper boy, clearly not expecting the reason of his son's constant swooning to be standing on his porch.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hummel," Blaine smiled and held out his hand to offer Burt a handshake.

"Hey kid," Burt replied on a friendly tone as he accepted Blaine's hand. "Didn't Kurt tell you he's sick? You two always go out for coffee on Wednesday, don't you? I'm assuming you came over to see why he didn't come?"

"Oh, I know Kurt's sick; he did tell me. I just thought that since he couldn't come for coffee, I'd bring the coffee to him."

When Burt frowned a bit, he directly added, "Well, coffee for me. I brought Kurt some herbal tea. Oh, and some gifts to cheer him up." He flashed Burt the gift bag.

The older man right away cast a rather fond glance over Blaine, as he moved aside to let him in.

"Kurt's in his room. Do you remember where it is?"

"Yes, sir," Blaine smiled as he took his coat and shoes off and stored them away in the same place Kurt had showed him last time.

"Well go on up then. If you or Kurt need anything, just call."

Blaine nodded thankfully at the man, before sprinting up the stairs and finding the same door Kurt had lead him to before. He knocked a few times, but didn't get an answer to any of them.

So he opened the door ajar, slowly and quietly, and peeked through. The darkness of the room was only broken by a small stream of daylight entering through a split between the curtains, but despite that Blaine could distinguish the soft snoring body in Kurt's bed as well as the little crop of messy hair that was peeking out from under the comforter.

Blaine padded through the room towards the bed and sat down on the edge. With a little smitten sigh, he started to comb his fingers through Kurt's hair and letting the soft locks glide and twirl over his fingers.

"I know you're sick, but wake up for me beautiful," he whispered almost inaudibly.

Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe Kurt actually heard his words, because he began to stir before fluttering his eyes open. He needed about a second to discover Blaine sitting on his bed and sat up in shock.

"Blaine?"

"Hey Blue."

Blaine giggled silently over the wide open eyes Kurt was staring at him with; over the way Kurt's lips slightly parted when his jaw fell and over the pink bushes on his cheeks.

"B? What? You're here? In my house? In my room?" Kurt exclaimed with a deep, raspy voice, which did all kinds of things to Blaine's feelings.

"That I am," Blaine said proudly.

Kurt shook his head in disbelieve and rubbed his eye.

"No, I must be hallucinating."

Blaine laughed, completely taken away by Kurt's adorableness, and placed a hand on the other boy's shoulder.

"I can promise you, you're not hallucinating."

Kurt sank back into his pillows with a little content smile on his face. In his head he was freaking out over how amazing Blaine was right now. Some of his Glee friends had texted him well wishes and Finn had brought him a cute drawing made by Tina, and here was this dapper boy visiting him in person all the way from Westerville.

"If I wasn't sick, I'd totally give you a hug or a kiss. I don't want to get you sick."

Blaine rolled his eyes and opened his arms up for Kurt, making an inviting motion with his arms. Kurt shook his head, to which Blaine huffed in playful annoyance.

"I really can't care less if I get sick. Come here you."

Kurt hesitated a bit, but caved in after all. He scooted closer to his best friend at the edge of the bed, laid his head on his chest and wrapped his arm snug around his torso. Blaine dropped a kiss on top of Kurt's head and hugged him back.

"I got a surprise for you," Blaine said when they broke apart. He took the paper bag and placed it in between. He saw Kurt's eyebrow rise when the boy saw the Lima Bean logo.

"Since you couldn't come to the Lima Bean, I thought I'd bring the Lima Bean to you; or at least their coffee. Bringing the café down here would be a tad hard."

"Oh B, that's so sweet of you, but I don't think my stomach can handle coffee right now," Kurt pouted, still stroking Blaine's arm in a thankful manner. Blaine only gave him a secretive smile and pulled a Lima Bean travel cup out of the bag.

"Would you fancy some tea then?"

He passed the cup to Kurt who completely marvelled at him and then at the travel cup Blaine specially bought for him. It even had his name in Blaine's handwriting on it.

"You got me tea?"

"Yeah, I assumed you wouldn't be able to drink coffee since you're sick. I know I can't. And the cup is yours to keep, if you didn't figure that out yet."

"Blaine…" Kurt cooed. "You are too sweet for your own good, you know that."

Blaine shyly shrugged and blushed when Kurt took his hand and pressed his lips against the back of his hand. He then took his own travel cup out of the bag, with his regular Medium Drip, and they toasted to Kurt's health before taking a sip of their drinks

"I've got more gifts, you know," Blaine smiled, his twinkling eyes peeking over the border of his cup. Kurt looked at him incredulously, only to gasp when Blaine pulled out the red and golden gift bag.

"Since your stepmom is a nurse, I figured you didn't need a care package, so I put a little package together to cheer you up and entertain you. I know you hate when you have nothing to do."

Kurt adorably pouted while beaming proudly at Blaine, after taking out a cute stuffed bear with a bowtie out of the bag with a get-well-soon card and a note in its paws - the card was from Blaine and the note was written and signed earlier by the Warblers. He placed the card and the note on his lap, careful not to lose them, and rubbed the unbelievably soft bear against his cheek. He didn't miss how the bear faintly smelled like the cologne Blaine liked to put on.

"This bear is divine. I want to drown in its softness."

"Oh I know. But there's more; look in the bag," Blaine urged, taking the bear from Kurt and nuzzled his face in its fur.

Kurt quickly grabbed his phone to snap a picture of Blaine with the bear and set it as his latest wallpaper. Then his curiosity got the best of him and he dove into the bag, taking out a platter of fruit. It contained avocados – he_ loved _avocados, oranges and a pomegranate – his favourite fruits to eat when he's sick, some bananas, grapes and apples. If he wasn't sick, he would have given Blaine the biggest kiss.

He put the platter on his night stand and dove back in the bag, digging out a stack of DVD's. His eyes lightened up immediately at the sight of the first one: The Princess and the Frog.

"Oh my God, I've wanted to see this one so bad!" he exclaimed happily.

"I know," Blaine said softly. "I saw it and I thought of you right away."

Kurt sighed, smitten to the bone, and went to the next DVD. It was one of Ratatouille.

"You said you saw that movie and wanted to have it, but somehow never got around buying it," Blaine explained, leaving Kurt utterly speechless at first. He tried not to stare too much when Kurt gulped hard, his Adam's apple bobbing more apparent than usual.

Only then did he notice the way the corners of Kurt's mouth dropped and it seemed like he was going to cry.

"Blue, what's wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong," Kurt croaked; his voice broke on a small sob. "It's just…I…you…you remember all these random things I've told you while rambling about other things. When I talk to my dad or Finn like that, they forget what I've said before I'm even done talking about it, because they just tune out. And you remember. You really listen to me and you remember."

"Oh sweetie, c'mere."

Blaine scooped the other boy into his arms without awaiting a response. He kissed him long on his forehead, took his face between his hands and looked him deep in the eyes. He knew there was a big chance he'd catch whatever Kurt had with their faces this close, but he really couldn't care less.

"Kurt, the reason I listen and remember these things is because every single thing that comes out of your mouth is interesting. _You_ _are_ the single most interesting kid in all of Ohio. I love listening to you, okay."

Kurt tried to suppress the biggest smile, but overall quite failed. He closed his eyes when Blaine leaned in again to kiss his forehead and fell into his arms, looking for that special kind if warming hug only Blaine could give him.

"There are more gifts, you know," Blaine mumbled after they'd been holding each other for a while.

"Yeah, I know," Kurt answered. "But I'm quite comfortable right now."

"Look at my gifts, Hummel," Blaine grumbled, leaving a little kiss right behind Kurt's ear.

"Okay okay," Kurt sighed with much exaggeration, playfully rolling his eyes. He shifted on his bed and leaned back against Blaine's chest. The other boy right away rested his head on Kurt's shoulder and wrapped an arm around him.

"Despicable Me," Kurt read from the next DVD. "You wanted me to see this one, right, because the yellow guys and the little girl are hilarious?"

Blaine sat up, surprised and impressed, and poked Kurt in the side.

"Guess you listen to me as well, huh?" he smirked. He felt ridiculously in love when Kurt blushed and bashfully nudged him with his elbow. "But yeah, I love that movie; I thought you might too. You don't have to watch it if you don't want, of course. I just thought it'd be nice and-"

"Blaine?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up. Of course I want to watch it, dummy. If it's something that gets you excited, then I definitely want to check it out."

Blaine wanted to blurt out a lot at the same time at that moment, but to prevent big embarrassment he shushed himself by pressing his lips against Kurt's shoulder; he smiled faintly when the boy giggled in response.

Kurt laid the DVD aside and studied the cover of the next and last.

"Were the World Mine," he read. "I don't know that one."

"I don't really either," Blaine admitted with a shrug. "It's a gay movie, inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream. Remember how we saw Shelter the other day and we both loved and it's kind of our movie now? I thought that maybe we could make more movies ours_."_

"I'd love that," Kurt answered dreamily as his mind drifted to last week when they were Skyping and watched that movie simultaneously on their computers. Both had projected themselves with the other in the bed scene, and both had kept that a deep secret inside their head. "And of course I remember that, B. We totally need to watch that movie together. 'Together together' that is; both of us in one room, watching the same screen."

"Yes!" Blaine agreed. "We should do it this weekend."

"It's a date," Kurt laughed. He squeezed in the other boy's thigh and focused back on the DVD's, though his memory had him think the gift bag had more content.

He set the DVD's at his feet and peeked once more in the bag, indeed finding more gifts in it.

Two brand new books: Perks of Being a Wallflower and Wicked. Two books he mentioned wanting to read before; just another thing Blaine had kept in his mind after listening to him.

In a flash he had his arms around Blaine's neck and hugged him harder than he probably had ever before. He didn't even need to tell why; he knew Blaine knew.

"You truly are the best friend ever, B," Kurt whispered in his ear.

"You'd do the same for me," Blaine shrugged. "It's not that a big deal."

"Well I think it is and I totally would, but that doesn't matter. It matters that you are the most awesome man in my life right now."

_I want to be the man of your life period_, Blaine sighed in his head as he kissed the other guy on his temple. Instead he reached for the DVD's with one hand whilst still firmly hugging Kurt with the other.

"I'm not planning to leave until I absolutely have to, so let's watch one these, shall we?"

"The Princess and the Frog," Kurt mumbled into his neck.

"The Princess and the Frog it is," Blaine nodded, enjoying Kurt's affection a bit longer before he got up to set up the DVD.

**-oOo-**

The two lay curled up together in Kurt's bed; Blaine comfortably in the pillows – his blazer, shirt and trousers were folded neatly on Kurt's desk chair, leaving him in nothing but his undershirt and a pair of Kurt's pyjama bottoms - and Kurt was draped over his chest. The pale boy had practically demanded Blaine sat with him on the bed. They'd hugged so much already; If Blaine hadn't caught Kurt's flu bug yet, he wouldn't at all and even if he did, he wouldn't care. Kurt had promised him that if he got sick after, he'd come to Westerville so they could be sick together.

Right of the bat, they were completely in each other's personal space. Their legs were locked in each other; their hands were entwined most of the time, but then would roam anywhere until they somehow found each other again and laced back up.

Blaine more often than not watched Kurt instead of the movie. Kurt had a lovely smile that hadn't really left since the movie started. A smile that he had put there and he couldn't be more delighted about that. During the few times Kurt tore his eyes of the screen to focus on him, he bent over and kissed his cheek in a slow and love-filled way. It all would've been so perfect hadn't Kurt been sick.

At the end of the movie, though, Kurt stopped fighting against his own body and the urge to sleep that it had, and nuzzled his face into Blaine's chest while dozing off. Blaine had been able to convince him to stay awake long enough so he could turn the TV off, grab his messenger bag and ask him permission to use his laptop. Kurt had said he could do whatever as long he came back in bed with him.

So Blaine did, and now he was lying there, Kurt sleeping on him on one side, Kurt's laptop next to him on the other side. He'd checked his email and worked a bit on a paper for one of his classes. He was deep with his nose in one of his books, when a movement by the door caught his eye.

"Blainey!" A surprised voice cried in a whisper; a voice unmistakably belonging to his sister. Right after, Rachel tiptoed into the room and made a beeline for her brother, falling around his neck in a tight embrace. Blaine immediately wrapped her in a one armed hug – with the other one he held onto Kurt – and kissed her temple.

"Rach, what are you doing here?" he asked delighted.

"I was out with Finn. I thought I'd come home with him to see how Kurt was doing, but he's asleep I see. Now what are _you _doing here, mister I-go-to-school-in-another-city? Came to see your boyfriend?"

"RACHEL!" Blaine hissed, casting a wary glance over Kurt's sleeping form.

Rachel teasingly flicked her brother's nose and kissed his cheek, before moving the laptop aside and sitting on his other side.

"He's asleep. Don't worry, he didn't hear me. Now talk to me."

"He's not my…my…my bf, okay!" Blaine whispered as he nervously eyed the boy on his chest, hoping he wouldn't wake up and catch words that might make things awkward between them.

"You know how we always go out for coffee together on Wednesdays? He couldn't come today, of course, so I came to him. There's no way in hell I'm going to give up spending time with my best friend when we have so little time to spend together to begin with."

"_Our_ best friend," Rachel scolded with an amused tone. She lay down and rubbed absently over the hand of Kurt that was firmly resting on Blaine's chest. "We totally let him turn our world upside down, huh?"

"I'd let him do it again in a heartbeat. Over and over again."

Rachel flicked her head up. Her lips were pursed into a self-fulfilled grin; her eyes held a strangely, victorious spark.

"You love him," she mouthed with full certainty.

"Shut up," he mouthed back while nudging her. His cheeks were fire-red though, and it didn't go past his sister at all. Right now he didn't want anything more than wipe that smug look of her face.

The two siblings were startled by a cough fit that came over Kurt. He seemed to be troubled but didn't wake up from it. Rachel was the first to release the breath she was holding and one stroke over the arm was enough to let her brother know he could do the same.

She also decided to drop the topic right away, before Kurt would suddenly wake up and catch their words. She liked to tease her twin – and Kurt for that matter - about a potential love life like any sibling would, but not if it got Blaine on edge like this.

"Blainey, I'm going to find Carole, okay?" She said as she got up from the bed. "I'm trying to convince Finn to audition for the school musical and I could really use her help with that as he's so insecure about his acting. We're doing Beauty and the Beast and I just know he'd be the best Beast to my Belle with our indisputable chemistry. Kurt's planning on auditioning for Lumiere."

"I know," Blaine smiled while he looked over the guy in his arms with indescribable pride. "He told me about Lumière already and I promised to be first row at the premiere."

"Of course he told you already," Rachel smiled as she nodded her head. _I doubt there is a single aspect in his life he hasn't told you about and vice versa, because you two are ridiculously in love with each other. Why can't you see that?!_

"I'll see you later?" Blaine asked as he kissed her cheek.

"Of course," she exclaimed and gave him a kiss back. "I don't get to see my brother that often, you know."

"I'm so sorry," he whispered as his smile faltered and dropped his head. His mood was in a flash the opposite of his sister. With a finger under his chin, Rachel lifted his head right back up and stared him stern in the eyes.

"Do not apologise, Blaine Alexander. Ever! It's not your fault."

He nodded sadly and let himself be hugged one more time before his sister sneaked out of the room. He thought about picking his homework back up, but that last moment with Rachel had brought him in a bit of a funk. He sighed and scooted deeper under the duvet to mould his body against Kurt's.

Kurt, sleeping and all, had his own plan.

He latched himself to Blaine's chest again and locked his leg around Blaine's lower body. Then slowly but surely crept his way completely atop of Blaine.

The latter had to get used at weight on him at first and especially the heat radiating of Kurt like a comforting blanket, but soon found himself wrapping his arms around Kurt and burying his face in the soft brown hair that was right under his chin.

For a moment he just lost it and let his emotions run free. Devastation and guilt over escaping to Westerville without his sister hit him hard once again, though this time he didn't feel like a coward over it; Kurt had made sure that would never happen again with only a few words of encouragement. Still, tears glided from his face as tried to contain his muffled sobs as much as possible so he wouldn't disturb Kurt.

Alas, Kurt's eyes slowly open because the light shocking of Blaine's body awoke him. He blinked and tried to make sense of surroundings before he fully realised where he was lying.

"Oh my God, B. I'm sorry," he mumbled with a yawn while rubbing his eyes. "I always get kind of clingy when I'm sick."

"Don't worry about, Blue. It's cute."

In any other situation Kurt would've practically fainted over the cute comment, but Blaine sobbing with a broken voice signalled a red alert and had him fully awake in a second. He pushed himself up and instantly saw Blaine's red shot eyes.

"B, have you been crying?" he gasped frightened.

"It's nothing," Blaine sniffled in return.

"Don't do that," Kurt sneered.

"What?"

"Don't shut me out. You and I tell each other _everything. _We trust each other with completely, don't we?. Please don't keep anything from me. Especially not when you're crying."

Blaine smiled faintly nodded through his tears. When Kurt tried to slide of off him because he assumed Blaine would be uncomfortable in this position, he took a tight hold of Kurt's waist and kept him on top of him.

"Please, don't. Stay where you are."

Kurt stared at him intently, trying to figure out from just Blaine's eyes what was going on in the boy's head. But the pleading, sad eyes had him buckled down way too quick. With a small sigh crossed his arms on Blaine's chest while letting his head rest on them and relaxing his body. Practically immediately Blaine's hand slid into the messy mop of hair on his head. Fingers brushed and massaged soothingly over his scalp, before trailing down and cupping his cheek.

Softly and frequently interrupted by sobs, Blaine told him about the little interaction he'd just had with Rachel and her joke that left him unintentionally feeling like a failure once more.

"Stop," Kurt snapped immediately after Blaine's story. "None of this is your fault. Yes it sucks for Rachel that she can't see you that often and I hate that I can't see you as much as I'd want to, but even if Rachel would've gone to Crawford Country Day, you wouldn't see her that often and it still wouldn't be your fault. So please stop feeling guilty!"

"Damn you for always saying exactly what I need to hear," Blaine joked through heavy sobs. "Why haven't we met years ago?"

"Because your sister was too insufferable and had a horrible taste in clothing. One thing changed since then and it's not the fashion."

Blaine now loudly laughed and Kurt took the moment to wipe a few tears from Blaine's face and admire his beauty from up close without looking creepy.

"Do you want me to do anything for you, B?" he said softly after a while, when Blaine had stop sobbing but still had a sad gleam in his eyes.

_Kiss me until I can no longer breathe._

"Just hold me, please." It was a desperate plead almost.

Going against Blaine's previous wishes, Kurt slid off the other boy's body but stayed pretty much attached to the hip with his arms open and inviting. An invitation Blaine responded immediately to by rolling on his side and into the safety of Kurt's warmth. As he buried his face into the crook of Kurt's unusual hot neck and his hands clutched Kurt's shirt, he felt a pair of arms wrapping around him, followed by calm caressing over his back. He sighed contently and let his lips briefly make contact with Kurt's neck, much like they had done on Kurt's last Dalton visit.

"It's not fair. You're sick, yet you are comforting me," Blaine pouted. "It should be the opposite. I came here to do the opposite"

"B, I could be on my death bed and I'd still try to comfort you," Kurt smiled, as he absently traced his fingers along the lines of Blaine's back muscles.

"Well, that'll have to be the other way around because as selfish as it may sound, I hope my time will come before yours. I'm so not planning on seeing you on your death bed."

Kurt's breathing hitched, remarkable for Blaine to pick up on it in matter of seconds and found Kurt staring at the ceiling, visibly upset. The puzzles pieces fell into place for him very quick. Kurt had seen his mother on her death bed and he had seen his father with one foot in his death bed after his heart attack. The last thing Kurt needed was a visual of his best friend in the same position.

"Shit, Kurt. I'm so sorry. Please don't cry, sweet heart."

"S'okay," Kurt assured him with a shrug, but there was no denying how much Blaine apologizing affected his feelings in a very positive way. Blaine knew exactly what words had upset Kurt and why, without Kurt having to tell him, testifying how much he really knew him. It was just too hard to be mad or upset at him. "I'm fine really."

"You sure?"

"YES! Now shut up and cuddle with me."

Blaine didn't need to be told twice, looped a leg around Kurt's hips and buried his face back in Kurt's neck.

**-oOo-**

A soft knocking on Kurt's bedroom door pulled Blaine out of his focus on his homework.

He and Kurt had taken their time comforting each other. There were kisses on necks again; only less intense like the last time and there was a conversation full of laughter about the hickey's they both still had from it.

But Kurt was a sleepy thing when ill and it didn't take a long after their cuddling for Kurt to whisper to 'Blainey' that he was going back to sleep. He'd just kissed Kurt's forehead and let him sleep on him again, while noting never to inform Rachel that Kurt had called him Blainey, no matter how unbelievably adorable it had sounded. It was her nickname for him, and Kurt's was B and they were both very protective of their own.

"Kurt? Blaine?"

The door opened and Burt Hummel stepped in the room. Even though the man had been nothing but nice to Blaine so far, the man still came across intimidating and here he was lying in one bed with his son. This couldn't work in his advantage.

The older man froze for a second as he saw his son sleeping on his best friend. Though he knew the two boys were very close, this wasn't a position he was prepared to catch his son in for a few more years. His eyes caught Blaine staring a bit frightened at him and suspected that the kid thought that he got the wrong idea from the situation. He snorted internally, but offered him a friendly smile nonetheless.

"So you're the victim of his clinginess this time. He has that from his mom you know, the clinging and the massive amount of sleeping when he's sick."

"Oh, I don't mind, sir," Blaine squeaked, blushing furiously.

"Bet you don't," Burt muttered, too soft for Blaine to hear. He walked over to the bed and tried not to chuckle when Blaine shrunk in himself. It was even harder not to burst out in laughter when Kurt held on tighter onto Blaine's chest, making Blaine look crazy terrified at Burt. The older man guffawed as he walked over to the scared boy and clasped him on the shoulder.

"Relax buddy! Please. I just came to ask if you want to come down for dinner. Finn and Rachel are already setting the table."

"If it's not a bother," Blaine answered quietly

"Blaine, your sister is here and no offence, but the girl is insanely loud and if we can handle her, you should be no problem."

That made Blaine grin, because as much as he loved his sister, he would admit that it was true.

"What about Kurt though? Isn't he going to eat?"

Burt smiled hard at the boy, admiring how much he cared for his son. It pleased him that Kurt fell for such a good young man and not a type like his friend Noah. Not that Noah didn't care for his son, but the stories that he sometimes from Finn about that kid honestly concerned him.

"When Kurt's sick, he's a big sleeper and a bad eater. It's better to let him sleep for now; if he gets hungry, I'll bring him something to eat later."

That answer satisfied Blaine enough, so he carefully pried off of him and made sure his crush was lying comfortably in his bed.

"Is it okay if I get dressed first?" he asked, pointing at his Dalton uniform on the desk chair.

"Sure. I'll see you downstairs."

After Burt left, Blaine slipped out of the pyjama bottoms he was wearing and put on his slacks and oxford shirt. He went back to Kurt, kissed his cheek lovingly and stroked his hair, and went downstairs. There he greeted Finn with a fist bump, gave Carole a big hug and playfully ruffled Rachel's hair because he was her brother and he could.

The family and their guests sat at the table to enjoy Carole's casserole. Burt and Carole each took place at one of the ends of the table; Finn and Rachel sat next to each other at one side and Blaine sat across from his sister. The empty spot between him and Burt depressed his mood because he wanted nothing more than to have Kurt there and hold his hand the way Finn and Rachel held each others.

Still he tried to stay engaged in the conversation as much as possible, though it wasn't really needed as Rachel went on and on about the Beauty and the Beast musical - and Finn grew more and more uncomfortable as she did so.

Suddenly Burt's voice boomed through the kitchen, right in the middle of Rachel's sentence.

"Kurt!"

Everyone's head snapped towards the door opening, where the younger Hummel was standing with his arms protectively wrapped around himself as he shivered with shaky knees. In this light he looked paler than ever and with the way the corners of his mouth were turned down it seemed like he was feeling pretty miserable. Carole got up immediately and felt his forehead to test his temperature.

"Why are you out of bed?"

"I woke up and Blaine wasn't there," he answered with a raspy, unintentional whiny voice. "I thought he left without greeting me."

His eyes finally found Blaine's, and while Kurt seemed relieved to confirm for himself that Blaine was still very much in his house, Blaine felt guilty. Immediately he jumped out of his seat and rushed over to his best friend, enveloping him in a protective hug. Kurt wasted no time hugging him fiercely back and burying his face in Blaine's neck.

"I'd never leave you like that, Blue. Have more faith in me than that," Blaine whispered.

"I do. It was silly of me to think that," Kurt sighed quietly, his lips dancing over Blaine's skin as he did so.

"It's not silly. You're never silly," Blaine assured him. He held the other boy a bit more before dragging him to the table and letting him sit in the empty spot.

"Do you want something to eat sweetie?" Carole asked Kurt, as Kurt moved his chair directly next to Blaine's and rested his head on his friend's shoulder. Kurt took one look at the casserole and cringed. His stomach was not up for that.

"I made some chicken soup for you, if you prefer that," his stepmom went on; she took zero offence to Kurt's appalled frown.

Kurt lit up right away. That was definitely something he could get down his throat.

"A little bit, please."

Carole moved right away to get the soup, while Rachel tried to pick up where she left with her Beauty and the Beast monologue. It earned her lots of eye rolls from Kurt, which on its turn caused Blaine, Finn and Burt to silently chuckle.

After Carole had served him his bowl of soup – for which he thanked her extensively – he ate quietly, enjoying the subtle caresses Blaine gave him whenever Burt wasn't paying attention to them.

After dinner, he dragged Blaine back to his room, where Blaine spooned with him in his bed (they both loved doing that together way too much) until Finn and Rachel were done with washing the dishes and joined them to watch Despicable Me before Blaine and Rachel had to go.

The actual couple amongst them claimed Kurt's sofa. Rachel sat between her boyfriend's legs with her back against his chest so he could wrap his arms comfortably around her and she could easily turn around and kiss him on the lips. Every time she did so, Blaine lowly grumbled and muttered something about Lurch corrupting his baby sister (stubbornly ignoring that she was only ten minutes younger than him) and every single time Kurt would softly giggle and kiss his jaw or cheek – which on its turn made Finn glare suspiciously at the two boys.

Kurt and Rachel eventually got sick of it and scolded their brothers with a threat to kick them out of the room. The peace then settled and they focussed on the movie again.

Kurt frequently laughed over the funny things. That very laugh sounded like the sweetest music in Blaine's ears because making Kurt happy was his very intention and he more than succeeded. He locked his arm a little tighter around Kurt's shoulder and brought his lips to the latter ear to whisper.

"D' you like it?"

"Absolutely love it," Kurt exclaimed just as softly. "Thank you so much for doing this to me, B."

"For you always," Blaine grinned, and Kurt grinned right back because he knew Blaine was going to answer that. He brought his hand up to the one dangling over his shoulder and entwined their fingers, to spend the rest of the movie with Blaine peppering soft kisses behind his ear, across his neck and down to his shoulder. It took him all his willpower not to turn and let those plum lips fall on his own.

After the movie ended, the twins packed their stuff to leave. Blaine was already heavily pushing it to make it back in time for his curfew and he had offered to drop his sister off at home first.

While Finn and Rachel snuck off to the tall teen's room for a little private goodbye, Kurt and Blaine had a quick one of their own. Kurt first watched Blaine put on his blazer, sitting crossed legged on the edge of his bed, and smiled brightly when Blaine handed him his tie. Before Blaine could ask anything, he got up and stood directly in front of him.

His eyes found Blaine's; blue ended up staring deeply into hazel and vice versa. Without breaking eye contact, he tied the navy and red striped tie around Blaine's neck. There was no indication, nor warning for the sudden way Blaine grabbed his waist and crashed their bodies together in a desperate hug. Kurt wasted no time wrapping his arms around Blaine's neck and kissing his cheek long and longing.

"You're not going to Nick's party on Friday, are you?" Blaine sighed sadly as his hands travelled to Kurt's back and held on as hard as they could.

"I don't know," Kurt whimpered. "I really want to, but I don't know how I'll feel in two hours, let alone in two days."

Blaine made a humming sound and then out of nowhere picked Kurt up bridal style. The latter yelped in surprise and held onto Blaine's neck a bit too tightly.

"What are you doing?" he asked confused when Blaine laid him down gently on his bed. He watched the curly-haired teen grabbed his hand and kiss his fingers.

"Remember what you told me on Monday when you left Dalton?"

"Do you mean the part where I didn't want you to walk to me to my car because I wouldn't leave if you did," Kurt answered after thinking about it.

"Exactly," Blaine whispered; his eyes saddened and his mouth drooped. Kurt got the hint right away.

He reached out, cupping Blaine's cheek and pulling him closer.

"I wish we had one day where you and I could hang out together and neither of us had to leave like this. Just one day that isn't a sleepover with Rachel and Mercedes, just us."

"Well…" Blaine smirked as he draped himself over Kurt's body. "Our click is staying at Nick's after his party is over. If you come, you can stay too; I know Nick will love that. We can share a room."

"And a bed?"

"Oh definitely."

"Awesome."

They both grinned, but it was time to part and it was eating them both on the inside.

"Just do me a favour and get better first okay," Blaine said softly.

"I will," Kurt promised. "And thank you for everything you did for me today, B. You're absolutely the best."

"Always."

Blaine kissed the sick boy one last time on his forehead, let himself be wrapped in one last lingering hug for this day, and reluctantly got up from the bed.

"Bye, sweet heart. Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams. See you Friday, cutie," Kurt replied stubbornly with a naughty smirk.

Blaine laughed loud as he gathered his books and bag and headed towards the door. At the edge of the room, he turned around, just in time to catch Kurt snuggling under his comforter which was the most adorable sight ever.

Kurt wiggled his fingers in a cute little wave. He responded by blowing a kiss to him, which Kurt pretended to catch before blowing one back.

Not until later, when he barged into Wes and David's room without knocking, did he finally release the tears he had been holding back since the moment he closed Kurt's door after him and left his heart behind.

Back in Lima, Finn found himself in his brother's room, holding him as the boy cried eyes out because his heart had gone back to Westerville.

* * *

><p><strong>First of all: happy Dublin Kiss anniversary.<strong>

**Now it's been almost two months since the last update and it's because this chapter came with a lot of little writer blocks. It was a bitch to write when it totally shouldn't have been. Also my life is a bit of mess right now; it added to the blocks but whatever.**

**About the movies mentioned: I'm just going to assume everyone has heard of Despicable Me and The Princess and the Frog (if not, stop reading and go watch them now!). Ss for Shelter and Were the World Mine, I love them and recommend them. I'll put a link to the Shelter bedscene on areweallforgotten*tumblr*com/lovestruck.**

**Thank you for all the response I've gotten for the last chapter. You guys bring a smile on my face every time. I'm serious! You guys are the best.**

**Party time next chapter!**


	19. Chapter 16 part 1

Friday night; family dinner night. Usually Kurt loved it. The four family members going out to Breadsticks together, talking and laughing as if they'd always been a family and not just for a year, was something he actually looked forward to. They always had a great time.

Today, he hated it.

Not only because they had stayed at home and ordered in as if it were any other day of the week, but somewhere outside of Lima, a party was about to start and he couldn't be there. His father had said no.

He felt better; he felt so much better. Yesterday he was doing better already. He'd gotten an angry text from Wes complaining about his star Warbler having a terrible cough, right when they had to practice for their upcoming Sectionals. Shortly after, a heavy coughing Blaine had called him to tell him to ignore Wes, and to insure him that their time together was a thousand percent worth the coughing.

Both the text and the phone call had left him in the best mood and he'd spent most of the day out of bed. Today he hadn't been in bed at all. But Burt had said that if couldn't go to school, he sure as hell couldn't go to a party.

He had texted Blaine and Nick on the verge of crying. He'd received a disappointed text back (from Nick) as well as a devastated one (from Blaine). But neither was mad at him; they knew it wasn't his fault.

He'd been extremely grumpy all through dinner and had stomped up to his room as soon as everybody was done, not even bothering to stay for desert.

After closing his door with a bang, he plugged his iPhone into its docking station and set up his Bon Iver playlist to play a bit louder than necessary. Then he grabbed his copy of The Perks of Being a Wallflower Blaine had gotten him and flopped with it on his bed.

About half an hour later, somebody knocked on the door and decided to let themselves in since Kurt stubbornly ignored it.

"Kurt," Burt said carefully in case his son had fallen asleep despite the loud the music, but he figured what was going on as Kurt refused to acknowledge his presence and turning down the music only earned him an annoyed huff. Sitting down next to his son didn't help him one bit either, so he reached for the book and snatched it away from under Kurt's nose.

He now had the attention of the younger Hummel, but unfortunately it came in the form of a murderous glare.

"If you're going to deprive me of seeing my friends, at least let me read my book," Kurt snapped viciously.

"If _you_ don't tone it down and talk to me in a civil manner, I'll take your book, laptop and phone!" Burt barked back.

Kurt huffed and sat up straight, crossing his arms and legs. The fake smile on his face didn't please Burt very much, but he knew that this was all he was going to get out of his son at the moment.

"Listen Kurt. I get that you want to go to your friends, but what kind of irresponsible parent would I be if I keep my child from school, but let him go to a party."

Kurt sighed deeply and softened up to his father.

"I understand, dad, and I'm sorry. I just really wanted to go. I miss those guys."

Burt grabbed his shoulder and gave him an encouraging squeeze.

"I know that you do. You're often so sad after you've spoken to them. Hey, why don't you invite them over weekend?"

Kurt brightened up immediately, while his mouth spread into a huge smile.

"Are you serious?"

"Absolutely," Burt grinned. "I've only met Blaine and Nick. I'd like to meet these other prep boys who adopted my son into their clique."

"Don't call them prep boys, dad. They're way too crazy for that," Kurt chuckled as he leaned in to hug his father. "But thank you so much. Can they sleep over too?"

"We'll talk about that later," Burt laughed with a huff. "But listen. Carole's gone to bed. She has a night shift at the hospital, so she wants to be rested. Finn went to Artie's and I'm going to my friend Eric. We're having a poker night."

"You play poker?" Kurt exclaimed, before bursting out in soft laughter.

"Hey! You might be laughing, but you sure weren't complaining when we all went to that dinner theatre in Columbus last year. Or those times you and Finn had the house to yourself whenever I took Carole for a weekend away."

"You paid all of that with poker profits?"

"You bet!"

"Wow, I'm very impressed," Kurt smirked.

"You better be. Your old man still has it!" Burt bragged as he stood up and walked towards the door. "I'm leaving soon. Think you'll be okay?"

Actually," Kurt hummed as the best idea ever struck him at the last moment. He sat on his knees and slightly bounced from excitement. "Can I go over to Rachel's?"

"Kurt…" Burt groaned. He grabbed the door with one hand while pinching the bridge of his nose with his other.

"Please dad, hear me out," Kurt begged immediately. "I really don't feel like being alone all night and all Rachel and I are going to do is gossip and watch a movie or two. Same as we did two days ago when I was feeling way worse. No busy parties!"

"Ask Rachel to come here then."

"Dad, Carole wants to sleep. And Blaine may or may not have slipped that you said Rachel is loud"

Burt's face turned crimson when he heard that, feeling reprimanded as Kurt slowly shook his head.

"If that girl starts laughing, there's no way Carole will sleep."

Frowning, Burt studied Kurt's determined expression and weighed the pro's against the cons; only to sigh and cave in.

"Alright, you can go. Go get your stuff and I'll drop you off at Rachel's on my way to Eric's."

That was so not part of Kurt's sneaky plan, but Kurt wouldn't be Kurt if his quick-thinking mind didn't come up with an excuse on the spot.

"I'm gross," he huffed. "I've had these pyjamas on all day. I need to take a shower, get dressed and pack a proper over-night bag. I'll need about half an hour at least.

Burt's eyes bulged before he took a frantic glance at his watch.

"I promised to be at Eric's in twenty minutes."

"So go. I can drive myself."

"I don't know, Kurt."

"Dad please! I feel fine enough to drive."

Blue eyes resembling Burt's own went into full pleasing and begging mode – something that was mastered of the years, dating back to a time when Elizabeth Hummel caved into all sort of things. He couldn't resist them himself that much either.

"Fine. But I want you to text me as soon as you're at her house."

"Thanks dad!"

Kurt flew his dad around the neck to give him a big hug. Burt smiled as he returned the embrace and rubbed his son over his back.

"See you tomorrow, kiddo."

Kurt waited patiently for Burt to tell Carole everybody would be out and for her to get a good rest. As soon as the front door shut behind his father, Kurt dived into his spacious closet and took out a garment bag containing the outfit he'd planned for Nick's party. Because he was driving tonight; just not to Rachel's house.

He took a quick shower, using his favourite shower gel that left his skin smelling heavenly and a shampoo and conditioner that made his hair soft and luscious. It was his full intention to make sure Blaine wouldn't notice anyone but him. All the Dalton boys present would be out of uniform and who knew what kind of hot friends Nick had outside of school; he couldn't be careful enough with so many predators on the loose.

Faster than ever he got dressed, styled his hair to perfection and packed an overnight bag. A last whiff of cologne and a last bit of hairspray and he was completely party ready.

On the way to his car, he took his phone out and texted Jeff. Blaine was initially going to pick him up, but now he planned to surprise both him and Nick with his attendance. In order to do that he needed an address. He could've texted David – he was inarguably the closest with David after Blaine – but he figured that David would be the one who Blaine would be around the most.

So he texted Jeff for the address and got a response soon after, followed up by another one.

**Jeff**

May I be curious and ask why you need it.

**Jeff**

Are you planning to sneak out and come anyway? Please say you are.

**Kurt**

As a matter of fact, I am.

**Kurt**

Without the sneaking part. No parents around

**Jeff**

Kurt! That's awesome. Nick will flip out

**Jeff**

And Blaine too of course

**Kurt**

I know, but it's a surprise for both

**Jeff**

My lips are sealed

**Jeff**

Do you want me to wait for you at the gate?

**Kurt**

That would be great

**Jeff**

K, bro. See you soon

Kurt greeted the blond back and entered the address he'd gotten into his GPS, which eventually lead him right outside of Lima. He recognised the neighbourhood because it was where Sugar lived and the New Direction had had a party or two at her castle of a house. She actually happened to live a block away from Nick.

Kurt saw Jeff chilling at the gate of the driveway from a distance. The blond waved a bit too energetic to him, but it was pretty adorable Kurt had to admit.

"Hey Kurt," Jeff grinned, as he jumped into the passenger side so he could drive back with his friend to the house and point him to where all the other cars were parked.

"It's so great you're here. Nick was pretty sad, but Blaine's in a big funk; he's quite grumpy. You're the perfect remedy!"

Kurt blushed furiously as he parked his Navigator between a Lexus and a Ferrari. Rich kids, he remembered. First he properly hugged Jeff as greeting and followed him into the villa. They passed a crisp white entrance hall and went into a hallway to what Jeff explained was the wing of the house Nick shared with his older sister; Lydia.

They entered a small kitchen - that was actually used as a bar – connected to a large and currently crowded game room. It was decked out with a pool table, a foosball table, a large television where several people were playing video games, some retro game stations and one of the corners had gigantic pile of bean bags where multiple couples were making out and shamelessly groping each other. There was no music in the room, though loud music coming from somewhere else in the house was enough to fill the place up. Kurt was so in awe of it all. He wasn't quite what he had expected, but it certainly wasn't something from MTV Cribs.

He spotted Nick talking to two guys at the pool table with his back turned to him and Jeff. He hadn't seen them yet; an excellent moment to make his surprise visit an even bigger surprise.

He passed his bag to Jeff and snuck up to the birthday boy, covering the guy's eyes with a silent snicker while the two guys were watching with smirks.

"Whoa!" Nick yelped. "Who is this?"

Kurt remained quiet as a mouse and let Nick toss in the dark for a bit, before revealing himself. Nick spun around, and very slowly his eyes bulged and his mouth fell wide open.

"Kurt!"

Kurt pretty much had all the air knocked out of him as Nick crashed his body against his in a bone crushing hug.

"Dude, you came!"

"I did," Kurt smiled. "Happy birthday!"

"It's the best birthday now that you're here," Nick replied. "You need to tell me how you got here after all, but later. You haven't had a drink yet and Blaine needs to know you're here."

First he introduced Kurt to the two guys he was talking to, who turned out to be two of his childhood friends and had actually already had heard of him through Blaine - that made Jeff and Nick exchange all-knowing glances. Nick informed the two guys that he'd be right back and linked his arm with Kurt's to literally drag him out of the room to the large living area of this wing of the house, with Jeff following them close with a chuckle.

Jeff knew Nick was very fond of Kurt, but if he wasn't certain that Nick didn't want nothing more than Blaine to be together with Kurt, he'd think that two of his friends were in love with the beautiful teen. He himself couldn't stop cooing over Kurt as the boy marvelled over the room they'd stepped in. All the furniture plus extra seats were moved to the side to create a lounge while the middle of the room was turned into a dance floor, complete with club lights, another bar and a DJ booth.

The dance floor was completely packed with people dancing and sweating to hard, steady beats. Some were dancing in clicks; others were downright grinding in a sex-like matter. Wolf whistling arose above the music as a small crowd watched how both girls and boys twerked alone and in teams in the hottest way possible and here had people making out as well.

Kurt couldn't really be bothered with them and paid no attention. The reason was that Nick had left him standing right outside the lounge area, and had skipped between the seats to a small closed off area where some of his closest friends were chilling. Wes was sitting hip-to-hip with a Japanese girl, while David had a girl in his lap, whom Kurt recognised as his girlfriend. But then all his attention was sucked away by the boy leaning on one of the arm rests.

Blaine.

Blaine in his bright red chinos, rolled up over the ankles. Blaine with his tucked in, fitted black polo, which accentuated his broad chest, muscled arms and small waist in the best way possible. Blaine with his adorable red, white, black and grey striped bowtie. Blaine, who basically a living dream at the moment.

Nick went over to Blaine and said something in his ear. Blaine shot up straight as his face was struck by shock and he very obviously shouted the word where. Nick then pointed at Kurt; Blaine frantically followed the direction and locked eyes with his gorgeous crush. Immediately, he sprung from the couch and strategically manoeuvred his way out of the lounge area as fast as possible. He literally ran and crashed into Kurt, who exactly like a few days before on the stairs of the soccer field, was waiting for him with spread arms.

The taller boy felt strong arms wrapping around him and he reciprocated the hug, burying his face in the crook of Blaine's neck as he was being lifted from the floor.

"B," he sighed happily.

"You're here," was the muffled response.

Kurt eventually, after what felt like hours but maybe wasn't even a minute, felt his feet touch the ground again, only to immediately be dragged out of the room towards a more quiet area of the house. His back hit a wall, before Blaine pressed up against him and took a hold of his hips.

"Hey sweet heart," Blaine smiled brightly. He mentally licked his lips as he took in Kurt's attire. Black skinny jeans made his ass stand out in a sinful way; a tight, short-sleeved, royal blue button-up shirt showed off his muscled upper body and at the same time accentuated his pale skin and brightened up his blue eyes. Blaine could honestly devour him right now.

"Hi, honey," Kurt giggled back as he wrapped his arms loosely around Blaine's neck.

"Did your dad really let you come after all?"

"No, he thinks I'm at your house right now, watching movies with Rachel."

"Oh, Kurt Hummel is a bad boy now, huh?" Blaine smirked as he moved in closer and pressed their foreheads together. A tiny smitten sigh escaped his lips when Kurt, in all his glorious beauty, closed his eyes and leaned forward to brush their noses against each other.

"I'm not a bad boy," his crush whispered with a flirty grin. "Just want to party with my best friend and have him fulfil the promises he made me. Can you blame me for getting what I want when I feel fine?"

"No," Blaine replied softly. His hand started to dance over Kurt's lower back; the other teen hummed content. "I'd have done the same, but only for you."

"That's why you're my best friend," Kurt mused. His fingers twirled themselves around the modestly gelled curls in the nape of Blaine's neck. At this point he was tremendously struggling to not exercise the miniscule pressure of his finger in Blaine's neck that was needed to coax their lips together. They were right there; plum, plush and ready to interlock with his own.

Collective voices, who were all calling out for them, drew the attention of Blaine, who annoyed albeit curious looked away to see if any of his friends were approaching. Kurt immediately took the opportunity to connect his mouth to Blaine's skin, catching the barely shorter guy by surprise. Though, in a quick response, Blaine pecked him right back.

"Come on, there's some girls you've got to meet."

They went back into the hallway and ran into David and the girl who was on his lap only minutes earlier. Kurt hadn't had a chance yet to talk to the Warbler, so he stepped up to David, who immediately greeted him with a warm hug.

"Hey man. You look good for someone's who sick. Really happy you're here." After they let go, David added, "I was already tired of Blaine sulking over you not coming while the night hadn't even started yet."

"I wasn't sulking," Blaine mumbled embarrassed.

"Yes, you were," the girl behind David teased. David pulled her over and cast a proud look over her as she snuggled up to his side.

"Kurt, this is Abigail, my girlfriend.

"Wow, you're gorgeous," Kurt blurted out as he accepted the girl's stretched out hand. Abigail, who with her light coloured complexion, maroon brown eyes and long, straightened hair was indeed a beauty, smiled bashfully.

"Look at yourself. If I wasn't taken, I'd totally tap that."

As Kurt burst out in loud laughter, Blaine chocked on basically nothing and David gaped shocked at his girlfriend.

"Abi, I'm right here!" he whimpered.

"Baby, you know I was just joking," Abigail cooed, after she kissed him on the lips and hugged him. Though in a totally mischievous way, she peeked over his shoulder at Kurt.

"I'm not," she mouthed to him and made a 'call me' movement with her hand. Kurt laughed harder; he adored this girl already.

Suddenly an arm was around his shoulder possessively; it held him close to Blaine's body. Looking aside he was surprised to find his secret love with what seemed like jealousy in his eyes. It confused him slightly because why would Blaine be jealous of a girl flirting with him to tease her boyfriend? He had a possible answer, but it was one he only dared to dream.

His crowded thoughts were interrupted by Wes. He had joined their group hand-in-hand with the girl he was with earlier, who barely reached his shoulder – which Kurt thought was absolutely adorable.

"Kurt," Wes grinned, as the other boy walked up to him and they came together in an amicable embrace. "So good to see you."

"You too," Kurt replied. "I'm so happy I can be here."

"I'm too. Now we don't have to see Blaine sulk anymore."

"I wasn't sulking!" Blaine cried out frustrated. Wes grabbed him in a head lock, dragging him away from Kurt as he ruffled his hair. The small Asian girl took the moment to sneak up to Kurt and extended her hand to him.

"Hi, Kurt right? I'm Riko, Wes' girlfriend and best friend of Abigail over there," the girl said with a slight Japanese accent. Now that she was up close, Kurt could study her face a bit better. Her black hair was pinned up in a messy side bun, while bangs framed her spotless face – Kurt silently cursed her for it – she had pretty big, dark brown eyes and her lips were glossed in the perfect shade of pink.

"Oh, you're so beautiful as well," he gasped and accepted her hand, before mentally slapping himself because this was the second girl in a few minutes he greeted with a comment on her looks.

Riko didn't seem to mind, because she adorably giggled thank you and Abigail was still beaming at him. David groaned deeply and shook his head.

"Kurt! Stop flirting with our girlfriends! We can't compete with you!"

"I don't even play for their team!" Kurt shot back amused.

"Damn," Abigail hissed jokingly, whereas Riko pouted disappointedly. It earned her a questionable frown from her own boyfriend.

As the girls laughed – because David and Wes were now the ones sulking – Kurt walked towards Blaine, immediately slipped his hand into his and rested his head on the boy's shoulder, basically zoning the rest out again.

"Want to leave these crazy couples and get something to drink? Blaine murmured in Kurt's ear, his lips grazing lightly over Kurt's ear shell, making the boy tremble.

"Yeah," Kurt mumbled. He let Blaine lead him back to the bar, where he sat at the counter, while Blaine went around it to serve them their drinks.

"Sans alcool?" Blaine asked, as he looked at the various options.

"Oui, s'il vous plait."

Kurt watched him walk around and put a Bacardi bottle amongst the other bottles he was going to use.

"Have you had any yet? Alcohol, I mean."

"No," Blaine answered. He sat down on a bar stool and started filling a cup with the Bitter Lemon Kurt picked. "I initially planned on getting completely wasted, because I was really moping over you not being here and I wouldn't be having fun unless I was completely out of it."

He pouted sweetly as he handed Kurt his cup and started filling another one with Bacardi and coke. He blushed when Kurt cooed over his words.

"But I decided that I wanted to call you and talk to you about for hours absolutely nothing."

"Like always," Kurt noticed with a grin.

"Like always. It's crazy how little we talk about meaningful things in life considering how much we really talk. Anyway, I wanted to call you. Maybe even drive over to your house to see you and I wanted to stay sober, because I didn't want you to deal with my drunk rambling. It's not cute."

"I doubt that, because everything about you is cute."

Blaine nearly spilled the content of the soda bottle all over the counter, though managed to keep it cool as he filled his cup and held it up to Kurt for a toast.

"Likewise. We're a cute bunch," he said boldly.

"The cutest. Bitches be jealous of us!"

"Oh my god, I love your swag!"

When Kurt made a peace sign with his fingers and struck a badass pose. Blaine immediately bent over the counter to cup one of Kurt's cheeks and kiss the other; Kurt lost all of his though demeanour in a heartbeat. Blaine chuckled softly and smitten, and held up is cup again.

"A toast to our crazy but dear friend Nick."

Kurt clinked his cup against Blaine's and smiled.

"To Nick. And a fun night. Cheers."

"Cheers."

The both took a sip of their own drinks, smiling at each other over the rims of their cups. Kurt's eyes dropped down to Blaine's lips. He was completely captivated by the way they closed over the border of the cup; the way his tongue swept away the sweet liquor. The moan of pleasure that came deep from within Blaine went straight to his groin.

He snatched the cup from Blaine, smirking at the yelp of astonishment the boy let out and took a big gulp. The alcohol – which he wasn't used to since the last time he had some was in his freshman year and he had thrown up all over his school's counsellor's shoes – burnt in his throat, but came paired with a delicious, sweet aftertaste, worthy of a second sip.

"Give that back," Blaine whined, leaning over the counter. He reclaimed his drink with ease, only because Kurt was unprepared.

With his sight focused on Blaine, Kurt hopped off his stool and slowly made his way to the other side of the bar; a solid smirk was spread on his face. Blaine watched him amused, yet intimidated. He had never seen Kurt like this before: a full on flirting sex bomb predator. This was nothing compared to the light teasing they often did.

Like a hunting tiger, Kurt silently sneaked over to him. He was so hypnotised by Kurt's sensual moving body, that he barely registered how the boy slipped between his legs and how he kissed from his jaw down to his neck, where he teasingly sucked and softly bit. In the meantime Kurt had his fingers work the cup out of his hands.

When Kurt succeeded, he pulled away entirely and downed half of Blaine's drink, smugly triumphant.

"You're evil," Blaine sighed defeated.

"I know," Kurt giggled. "I like getting what I want."

"Oh, that's something I'm definitely aware of," Blaine muttered under his breath. "Do you want me to make you one of those?"

"Nah, I'll just drink yours," Kurt winked and took another sip.

Blaine still made two new drinks, handed one to Kurt and lead him out of the bar to an elevator that took them upstairs.

"It's quiet here," Kurt noted on the remarkable silence, which formed a strong contrast to the droning music and loud voices coming from downstairs.

"No one but our group of friends and some of Nick's other close friends are allowed up here. That's why he put a code on the elevator and blocked the stairs. Last time strangers came up here during a party, it wasn't pretty."

"I can imagine," Kurt mused.

He let Blaine bring him to a room that turned out to be a suite with a large queen size bed, taking most from one of the walls up. The rest of the room was styled with expensive elegance and.

"Here's where you and I will be sleeping tonight."

"Wow, it's gorgeous," Kurt breathed as he stepped in and slowly took the luxurious room in. He'd only seen such rooms in his magazines or in the travel programs he and Carole sometimes watched.

"I know. It's pretty much the nicest guest room there is. I fought hard for it because I really wanted you to stay here. Good thing you came after all, otherwise Wes would've taken it from me. This isn't even the best part really. But I can't show you that until tomorrow."

"How come?"

As answer, Blaine pulled Kurt over to the balcony, which looked over the enormous garden.

"The view is amazing, but it's dark now."

Kurt stepped on the balcony, gripped the railing tightly and looked gazed at the environment. There wasn't much to see indeed, but there were still part of the garden illuminated by small lights.

"Oh, fireflies," he gasped as he pointed a little into the distance. He fell quiet and became distracted when hands slipped in the front pockets of his jeans and drafted him backwards until his back collided with Blaine's chest. A chin hooked over his shoulder, followed by warm breath that was being puffed against the skin of his neck. He shivered, but at the same time he was left hot, so hot.

"Gorgeous," Blaine whispered - he'd removed his hands out of Kurt's pockets to lock them around his waist instead. Kurt wondered if Blaine had meant the fireflies, because if he was honest, it didn't sound like he did; he hoped that he didn't.

Blaine let them be like that for a bit, before leading a giggling Kurt to the bench on the balcony. Kurt sat down next to him and immediately leaned into him; their hands entwined as soon as they found each other.

"Come hang out at my house tomorrow with the guys?" Kurt asked after Blaine lovingly kissed his forehead.

"I'd love to and I know the guys will too. But won't your parents mind?"

"My dad was the one who suggested it actually," Kurt explained, looking up at his crush with shimmering eyes. "It was to make up for me not being allowed to come here."

But you _are _here," Blaine chuckled with a grin.

"My dad doesn't know that. I miss hanging out with you as the guys. If a little white lie can get me to this party _and_ have you guys over tomorrow, well...why not?"

"You sneaky little shit."

"You would've done the same. You said so earlier."

"For you, I would. For the other guys…..hmmm, I don't know."

"Don't be mean," Kurt pouted, playfully pounding his best friend against his arm.

"I'm not mean. Just like you way more than them," Blaine laughed at as he wrapped his arms around Kurt and pulled him into his lap, only to drag him down to lie together on the bench. He closed his eyes and let Kurt caress his face.

"What about our movie date though? We were going to watch Shelter together, remember?" Blaine whispered, frowning at first but relaxed after Kurt tapped his nose.

"Oh, I remember," Kurt reassured him, speaking as softly as Blaine." We could leave the boys here, watch the movie and have them come over later?"

"Are we going to cuddle in bed?"

"I wouldn't want to watch a movie with you in any another way?"

Blaine opened his eyes, just in time to see Kurt kissing his cheek; he wasted no time returning the gesture and caressed Kurt's longs legs which were draped over his own.

"The party. We should go downstairs before someone comes looking for us," Kurt said with much reluctance."

"I guess," Blaine sighed in the same manner. "I could stay like this all night though."

"Me too," Kurt confessed.

"So let's do that," Blaine teased, wiggling his eyebrows.

"B," Kurt warned, with a mocking groan as he rolled his eyes. "

"Alright, I'm coming."

"If you hurry up, you'll get that dance you wanted me to save for you."

With in no time, the two were downstairs.

**-oOo-**

Back downstairs, Kurt managed to get Blaine to make them more of the same drinks and got a VIP bracelet from Nick in the process, giving him access to the little seating area he spotted Blaine in before; the same area they went in now.

Wes and Riko were already in there and Abigail and David joined them, sweaty and slightly out of breath from being on the dance floor.

Kurt learned quickly that the two girls both attended Crawford Country Day, Dalton's sister school, and while Wes and Riko met each other at a gathering between the schools, David and Abigail actually had known each other since kindergarten. He was also very pleased to hear that the two of them had the talk Kurt had suggested and they were both giving their relationship another chance.

"You get along with them very well," Blaine said after the girls had left again to dance, groaning boyfriends in tow. His lips were on the ear shell of Kurt, who'd been seated comfortably in his lap since they got in the VIP area.

His fingers tightened the grip they had around the other teen's wrist while his right hand glided over Kurt's thigh, slowly moving inwards and kneaded the flesh covered in the ultra tight jeans. He pondered briefly if the gesture was crossing lines. However, Kurt's placing a hand over his and sliding his slender fingers between his to encouragingly squeeze him, evaporated that thought.

"They're very lovely," Kurt hummed absently as his free hand roamed over Blaine's face; he giggled when he felt Blaine kissing his shoulder. "I like their humour. It's like hanging with a set of nice, appropriate Santana's."

Blaine chuckled and proceeded to show his love for Kurt by working his mouth all over Kurt's shoulder blade. A relieved sigh escaped his lips after he managed to stay quiet when Kurt unconsciously grinded into him.

"Those girls totally adore you. I can tell. I don't blame them, because adoring you is incredibly easy."

"Oh B," Kurt cooed bashfully and turned around to kiss Blaine's forehead. "You're too sweet."

Then the music changed. People on the dance floor cheered the DJ on as Kurt shouted out loud.

"I love this song!"

_I'm feeling sexy and free__  
><em>_Like glitter's raining on me__  
><em>_You're like a shot of pure gold__  
><em>_I think I'm 'bout to explode_

For Blaine, it was the perfect opportunity to cash in the dance he was promised and to show off the dance moves he wanted to impress Kurt with. He was about to get up, but was met with counter-force from the boy on his lap, who kept him seated.

"Kurt?"

_I can taste the tension like a cloud of smoke in the air__  
><em>_Now I'm breathing like I'm running cause you're taking me there__  
><em>_Don't you know...you spin me out of control_

Kurt didn't answer. Instead, he gyrated his hips against Blaine's lower body, while making fluid moves with his upper body. Blaine blanked out when he realised he was basically getting a lap dance form his dream guy.

_Ooh ooh ooh ooh__  
><em>_We can do this all night__  
><em>_Turn this love skin tight__  
><em>_Baby come on_

Kurt hummed along with the melody, often stopping to let out a low and soft, but shaky moan. His head was swaying. He wasn't drunk; yet. But downing his own drink and sipping from Blaine's had made him buzzed; tipsy even. His head felt light as he floated on the music.

_Ooh ooh ooh ooh__  
><em>_Boomin' like a bass drum__  
><em>_Sparkin' up a rhythm__  
><em>_Baby, come on!_

Despite being intoxicated, Kurt was still vaguely aware of what he was doing on top of Blaine and even more on how Blaine grinded back hard. He turned a bit, fisting his hand hard into the springy curls on top of Blaine's head.

_Rock my world until the sunlight__  
><em>_Make this dream the best I've ever known__  
><em>_Dirty dancing in the moonlight__  
><em>_Take me down like I'm a domino_

Brief eye contact from blue to hazel happened. Lips moved from shoulder to neck and trailed upwards to jaw, leaving a trail of sweet little kisses behind. Kurt moaned once more and swayed his hips hard, grinding his hips deep against Blaine's crotch.

_Every second is a highlight_  
><em>When we touch, don't ever let me go<em>  
><em>Dirty dancing in the moonlight<em>  
><em>Take me down, like I'm a domino<em>

He wasn't quite sure how, but Kurt found himself flat on his back on the empty couch. Blaine slipped between his legs and hovered over him, eyes filled with lust and excitement. Kurt smirked at him and let his hands travel over Blaine's back to pull him down.

_You got me losing my mind__  
><em>_My heart beats out of time__  
><em>_I'm seeing Hollywood stars__  
><em>_You strum me like a guitar_

Blaine let himself be taken down. His eyes were already fixed again on the uncovered pale skin of Kurt's neck and dove in. On the beat of the song, he kissed and sucked a hickey on Kurt's collarbone and continued to pepper kisses around that area. The response – Kurt moaning even more and arching his body right into Blaine's – turned him on more than he already was.

They thrusted their hips against each other for a bit, but their boners touching made Blaine come to senses. Them being almost drunk, caused boundaries to go blurry and they were taking things too far.

_I can taste the tension like a cloud of smoke in the air__  
><em>_Now I'm breathing like I'm running cause you're taking me there__  
><em>_Don't you know...you spin me out of control_

"Sweety, we need to cool off," he murmured against Kurt's cheek as he kissed it.

"Yeah," Kurt agreed with a faint nod and loosened the fierce grip he had on Blaine.

Blaine sat up straight and to his surprise, Kurt climbed into his lap immediately and straddled him. His eyesight was completely filled with Kurt's chest; his nostrils with Kurt's Hugo Boss cologne. Like a magnet, his hands were drawn to Kurt's hips and clutched hard into his shirt as he crashed his face against Kurt's chest, planting his lips hard over the taller teen's sternum.

He felt slender fingers working themselves through his curls, as well as a kiss landing on top of his head. The fingers moved to his face, cupped his jaw and lifted his head up. He was met with beaming blue eyes and a dazzling smile. His heart instantly beat even faster and more butterflies were added to his stomach. He was _so _in love.

_Rock my world until the sunlight__  
><em>_Make this dream the best I've ever known__  
><em>_Dirty dancing in the moonlight__  
><em>_Take me down like I'm a domino_

Kurt leaned his forehead against Blaine's, forcing deep eye contact between them. They sat quietly, holding each other, until Kurt softly spoke up.

"You have the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."

It was definitely the alcohol that opened the door for those secret thoughts to go from his mind to his mouth and Kurt felt like smacking himself. Especially after the way Blaine's eyebrows flew up. But then the eyes of the boy beneath him started to twinkle and his lips transformed into a sexy, sly smirk.

"Liar," Blaine hissed.

"I'm not lying!" Kurt frowned with a pout.

"Yes, you are," Blaine countered. "You look at yourself in the mirror every single day. You can't look at those gorgeous blue eyes and then tell me I have the most beautiful eyes, Kurt."

Kurt blushed heavily. However, in another impulsive move caused by the liquor in his system, he cupped Blaine's face once more, firmly, and pecked him _on _the corner of his mouth, before burying his face in the boy's neck.

_Every second is a highlight__  
><em>_When we touch don't ever let me go__  
><em>_Dirty dancing in the moonlight__  
><em>_Take me down like I'm a domino_

The music changed around them to Rihanna's We Found Love. At the same time someone tapped on Kurt's back; the boy looked up which in its turn made Blaine pay attention.

"Kurt, come dance with me," Jeff slurred, with a wide grin.

The two tangled up boys on the couch exchanged curious glances, and turned back.

"Jeff, are you drunk?" Kurt asked.

"Uhm, I had a race with a pretty girl over who could drink shots the fastest," the blond answered after he let himself fall on the couch next to the couple.

"How many have you had?" Kurt asked now, while stroking Blaine's hair at the same time. The boy beneath closed his eyes as he sank into the back of the couch and pulled Kurt with him to kiss his neck some more, making the other boy moan deeply and grinding and humping his hips against Blaine again as if he was riding him. Blaine responded by thrusting his own pelvis upwards on the beat. He was so hard, but he didn't care.

Jeff paid no attention to them or their way-too-sexual-for-just-BFF's display. He was too busy counting his fingers to answer Kurt's question and eventually held up seven fingers.

"Twenty! See!" he shouted proudly. "Now are you going to dance with me?"

Finding him too adorable to say no, he accepted his friend's offer.

"I'll be back soon, okay," he whispered to Blaine and kissed him on the same spot as just before. Blaine, reluctantly, let him go and watched as Jeff over excitedly dragged his love along to the dance floor. He was fully aware that Jeff was a gender-blind, flirty drunk and rarely let his flirting progress to something more sexual. Still he felt insanely jealous of him. Watching Kurt dance with anybody but him was just painful.

That pain didn't reach Kurt, who had gotten to an open spot on the dance floor. Jeff was a bit of a wild and uncoordinated dancer when drunk, so he let himself be led and spun around, until Jeff erased the space between their bodies by grinding on him. It was simply fun and very playful; Kurt went along, grinding back, though he'd rather had it was Blaine.

"Whoa, what are you doing?" Kurt yelped when Jeff grabbed his ass hard with both hands and moved with rougher movements against him.

"Making Blaine jealous! You have a really nice ass by the way."

"Uh…thanks?" Kurt chuckled. "But why do you want to make Blaine jealous of me?"

"Not jealous of you, silly. Jealous of me," Jeff chuckled, carrying a smug attitude like he came up with the best idea ever. He peeked over Kurt's shoulder and saw Blaine fuming and snarling at him from they'd left him. He'd take all of it if his impulsive mission worked and hey, touching Kurt's ass was a definite pro.

"Blaine's jealous of you? Because of me?" Kurt questioned out loud. "Why would Blaine be jealous over me?"

"Oh, sweet little Kurtie," the blond Warbler sang. "You really have no idea, haven't you?"

"Idea of what!" Kurt cried out confused and slightly frustrated. He let out an annoyed huff when Jeff just smirked and spun him around once more. He was then pulled super close to the blond again and had Jeff talk right by his ear.

"Blaine loves you."

Kurt froze for a second, staring at Jeff with somewhat of a frown, before slowly picking up his moves again.

"I love him too. He's my best friend!"

Jeff drunkenly giggled and shook his head. He motioned for Kurt to come closer again and held the boy by his hips to sway sweetly to the new song that came up.

"Not like that, Kurt. I think you know very well what I mean. He loves you like…lovers. He's in love with you."

Kurt froze again, though his body was kept in motion by Jeff. This information was everything he ever wanted to hear about Blaine. Sure, Rachel had told him the same over and over again, but it always came with the note that Blaine didn't want to confirm it to her. But he was certain Blaine would confirm such a thing to his Dalton friends. Plus, Jeff was insanely drunk and drunkards are notorious for telling the truth.

He glimpsed at Blaine and saw the boy glaring at them; until his eyes caught Kurt's. He softened up immediately and winked at him with the dreamiest smile. Kurt couldn't help but blush when Blaine waved at him coyly and blew him a kiss. He returned the kiss and let Jeff guide him as he kept his locked on Blaine's.

"You're flirting with him right now, aren't you?" Jeff grinned. "You're in love with him." It was more a statement than a question.

"Uhm yeah, I am...and I am."

"I knew it! We all knew it!" Jeff whooped. "Now tell me all about while I play with your glorious ass to make Blaine more jealous."

Over at the lounge, Blaine was burning with rage as he clutched his cup hard in his hand. Jeff knew how he felt about Kurt, yet he was grinding on Kurt and even worse, touching his ass with zero shame. It should've him up there spinning Kurt around; him swaying intimately with Kurt and most importantly, him only him touching that mesmerizing butt. He could strangle Jeff right now!

"Could you please stop killing our dear friend in your imagination and think about finishing your plan?" A very amused Nick said as he sat down next to Blaine. "You're so jealous; you're singlehandedly killing the party vibe."

"What plan?" Blaine sighed, not quite happy with Nick's joke.

Said boy raised an eyebrow and stomped Blaine against his arm.

"Your plan to woo Kurt. The one you asked our help for and the very one we spent hours setting up yesterday. The one that needs about fifteen minutes to finish right now?"

"I get it!" Blaine snapped.

"Oi, don't get bitchy with me because Jeff has more balls than you and is touching ass right now. Get yours off my couch. Go grab Jeff while I'll get Wes and David. We'll find Trent and Matt along the way and execute your plan. Fight for your man, Blaine!"

"Sorry man. And yeah let's do this!"

Blaine downed the remains of his drink in one gulp, straightened his back and with a strong, confident walk, he strode over to the dancing duo. There was no need to snatch Kurt from Jeff's greedy hands; Kurt came over to him as soon as he saw him. Blaine grabbed his love and pulled him close against him.

"Listen, the boys and I need to do something really quick. Would you mind staying with Abigail and Riko until I come back so we can dance?" Blaine spoke into his ear.

Kurt felt chills creeping up his back due to Blaine's low, husky voice. His mouth went dry as he nodded. Blaine grinned at him and took him to where the girls were dancing and Nick was recruiting their boyfriends for help.

"Watch him for me please?" Blaine shouted over the music towards them, thrusting Kurt between them. Abigail gave him thumbs up and immediately invited him into their click. For a moment Blaine breathlessly stared at how Kurt gyrated his hips, with the girls circling around him and cheering him on, before Nick grabbed him and Jeff and took them out of the room.

Kurt let himself get lost on the music. Now and then one of the girls would dance on him in a playfully seductive way; it was reminiscent to how the drunken versions of Sugar and Brittany liked to dance with him.

They dance carefree and wild to about three or four songs when somebody tapped Kurt's shoulder. He turned around, fully expecting to see Blaine, but was actually confronted with a stranger. Well not that much of a stranger, because he was absolutely positive that he'd seen this guy - a pretty tall, light African-American guy with very short bleached hair and gorgeous light green eyes - before.

"Hi," the guy said with a smile and very warm eyes. "I'm sorry to intrude like this, but I saw you dancing and had to come over. My name's Donovan."

"I'm Kurt," Kurt replied shyly as they shook hands.

"I've seen you before, haven't I? At Dalton? You're Blaine's friend."

"Yes," Kurt exclaimed, now remembering where he had seen Donovan before. They had that short connection back when he was at Dalton for the very first time and he was comforting Blaine after his confrontation with Sebastian.

"Yes! I hoped you were that guy when I saw you dancing," Donovan grinned happily.

"You did?" Kurt let out baffled.

"Yeah," Donovan nodded as he stepped closer and gently placed a hand on Kurt's arm. "Beauty like yours isn't easy forgettable, you know."

Kurt almost stepped back when Donovan looked him deeply in the eyes, only to have the realisation dropped on him; he was being hit on and hard too.

Only, unlike last time, he wasn't feeling anything special in particular. Perhaps because the dynamics between Blaine and him had shifted dramatically for the better, he was officially in love and he had had confirmation on Blaine reciprocating his feelings. Donovan seemed sweet, but he just wasn't doing anything for him anymore.

"Will you dance with me?" Donovan asked him now, pulling him out of his thoughts. He looked at the charming boy and to the doors where Blaine disappeared through. He was technically still waiting for him to come back, but one innocent dance while doing that waiting couldn't hurt, right?

He smiled at the teen and nodded.

"Sure."

* * *

><p><strong>So I´m well aware that it´s almost been three months since I´ve last updated and I´m very aware how unacceptable that is. But my life is still a mess as is my head and I´m just trying to write between getting back on track, so pretty please bear with me. Thank you for all your comments. They make me smile so much every time and I´m just glad you guys are liking the story so much. And for those who are interested, I´ll put pictures of the people the OC´s (Riko, Abigail, Donovan and Matt. If you don't remember Donovan, read chapter 7. Matt's mentioned in 11 and 14) are based on in the Lovestruck page of my Tumblr. I'll run away for that ending now.<strong>


	20. Chapter 16 part 2

"I'm so sorry, Blaine," Nick whimpered helplessly at his friend, who'd tucked himself into a corner in the hall of the first floor. Nick knelt beside him and soothingly rubbed his back, but Blaine didn't move one bit from his position: knees against his chest, arms wrapped tightly around his knees and head buried in his arms.

"Why?" Blaine mumbled; his voice thick and interrupted with sobs. "You weren't the one who waited too long. It's my own fault I'm too late and fucked up my chances."

"I made a promise to you remember?" That if you made a move on Kurt, I'd keep him away from other guys. You held your end of the deal, but I was so busy with making sure you did, that I forgot about -"

"Don't say his name or I'll vomit," Blaine spat disgusted, though the image in his head was enough to accomplish that.

They'd gone off to finish the plan they'd set up together. Everyone had agreed that it had the right romantic level to blow Kurt's mind and it would've been perfect to inform him of Blaine's feelings. Then they'd gone back to the party, Blaine proud and confident upfront. However, after taking one look at the dance floor, Blaine had gone pale as a sheet. The other guys, who hadn't seen the scene on the dance floor yet, we're shocked to see Blaine burst in tears and bolt away from everyone.

Wes and David were the ones to check the cause out and found Kurt dancing rather sensually with one of their fellow Dalton students; his were eyes closed and he was clearly enjoying himself. David was the first to put in the chase after Blaine and they trailed him up to the first floor, where they found him throwing up in one of the bathrooms.

They'd taken care of him, but outside in the hall he'd collapsed on the floor and burst out in tears again. All the efforts of the group of friends to comfort Blaine were fruitless; the boy was inconsolable.

"Can you guys please leave me alone?" Blaine sighed after a few minutes. "I'm going to brush my teeth and then I'm going to drink until that image is out of my mind."

"Blaine..." Wes started, but Blaine gave him a murderous glare, eyes filled with fresh tears.

"Don't. Whatever you're going to say, just don't."

The boys all stared as he got up and brushed his clothes off.

"I'm sorry for ruining your birthday, Nick," he mumbled to the birthday boy and strayed off, leaving everyone feeling helpless.

"I knew he had it bad for Kurt, but I've never seen anyone this heartbroken. Poor guy," Nick said sombrely as the group defeated returned to the lower floor and retreated to the big kitchen which was, just like the first floor, inaccessible to anyone outside their group, thus quiet and perfect for a discussion.

"I was under the impression Kurt felt the exact same," David frowned.

"We all did," Wes attested. "How could we not with the way Kurt glows whenever Blaine is around. I thought he was in love with Blaine from the moment I met him."

"He is," Jeff said softly after being quiet the entire time."

"Jeff, I know you're drunk but did you really miss what just happened? Wes deadpanned.

"Fuck you," Jeff spat annoyed. "I'm not _that_ drunk anymore and I didn't miss a thing. But Kurt _is _in love with Blaine."

"We all thought so, but we're wrong," David replied sadly.

"No, we're not! Kurt's in love with Blaine. I asked him and he said he was."

"When!?" Nick asked shocked, yet hopeful.

"On the dance floor before you guys came to get me."

"Are you sure? You didn't misinterpret his words?" David checked. He started to get as excited as Nick. Wes however remained sceptical considering Jeff's drunken state.

"David please explain the many ways you can interpret the words 'I am' to the question 'are you in love with Blaine?"

"Holy shit," Nick gasped as Wes and David fell quiet and Jeff grinned brightly.

"What's the deal with Donovan then?" Wes pondered loudly, being the first one to break the shock.

"The kid's tipsy," Jeff shrugged. "He wasn't as drunk as I was, but he and Blaine sure drank some. Before I went to get Kurt, the two of them were completely eating each other's faces as much as one can without mouth-to-mouth contact."

"Really!? I missed that!?" Nick wailed loudly, his mouth curling downwards.

"Shouldn't mention them dry humping each other then," Jeff muttered under his breath, but it was heard by all and a loud, collective 'whoa' filled the room. they all now stared in full disbelief at the blonde.

"I'll never forgive myself for missing this. I shall walk the path of eternal shame now. Goodbye my friends," Nick cried out. Grievingly, he walked slowly to the door until Wes ushered him back to the island and commanded him to be serious again.

"My point is," Jeff continued with a glare towards Nick. "Kurt's looser than normal. He had no problem with me groping him, despite knowing about Blaine's feelings for him. I think he's just having a bit of fun. I mean, we are dealing with a guy who gets zero attention from other guys where he lives. This is new to him."

"You make way too much sense for a drunk guy, you know," Wes gulped intimidated.

Jeff curtsied for them, making the others laugh.

"I'm pretty sure I saw a girl filming them. If I see her, I'll ask her to forward the video," Jeff stated, boasting slightly over being the only witness, while a jealous Nick was glaring at him.

It was David who called them all to order.

"Gentlemen, we have two friends who helped me with my relationship and I'd like to return the gesture right here and now. Let's save the most romantic ship from sinking before it even sailed."

"David's using fanfiction lingo! This is serious people!" Nick barked. "Go! Go! Go!"

The birthday boy rushed out of the kitchen, leaving his friends rather amused behind.

"You heard him," Wes laughed. "Let's go before he comes back to bite our heads off."

"Hurry the fuck up!" Nick's voice boomed from afar; the three other boys ran after him, all grinning widely.

**-oOo-**

Upstairs, as he let his tears and sobs flow free, Blaine dragged himself out of the bathroom. He had thrown up some more and had brushed his teeth long and as hard as he could to erase the horrible taste in his mouth. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he brushed, he was unable to erase that nauseating image that was engraved in his mind.

He let himself fall on the large bed and immediately shrank into a fetal position. He knew now where he stood with his feelings for Kurt and he stood in the one position he was so afraid to be in; his dreams of Kurt reciprocating his feelings were merely dreams. Kurt only fancied him for their moments of closeness together and as someone he could be intimate with on a certain level without actually being in a relationship; someone to experience the things his girl friends always spoke about. He just knew that once Kurt found someone who could provide him with the same and more, he'd be downgraded to_ just_ the best friend.

It hurt. A lot

He was completely and utterly heartbroken. The aftermath of Sebastian breaking up with him was non-existent compared to this pain.

Ironically the only thing he knew could comfort him right now was Kurt touching him, holding him, kissing him. He needed his best friend.

Blaine broke out in tears and quiet sobs again, trying hard to block out the image of Kurt swaying against Donovan. He eventually managed it by picturing himself in Donovan's place, but soon pitied himself for doing so. He felt pathetic; like a true loser.

He rolled on his back and sighed deeply. With the back of his hand he dried his cheeks and let out another sigh. It was time to come up with a plan to get over Kurt. He needed to let him go, no matter how in love he was with him.

Somewhere in the room a phone went off. It wasn't Blaine's; however, the ringtone was familiar to him. He traced the sound to Kurt's Burberry backpack. The call just missed when he fished the iPhone out the bag, so a notification from a missed call from his sister was presented on the lock screen. He swiped the screen away and typed in the pass code to call her back - he knew Kurt's and Kurt knew his. Neither really remembered how that ever came around - but at the same time his own phone strayed ringing on the nightstand.

Here he saw Rachel's name as well. He didn't hesitate one second to pick up, trying to sound as normal as possible as he spoke up.

"Hey sis."

"Hey stranger," Rachel sang back on the other side. "How's the party? Sounds quiet from here."

"I'm upstairs, smartass," Blaine laughed softly, as he experienced his sister's silliness as a form of comfort. "Everything okay with you?"

"I'm okay, I guess," Rachel answered. Blaine could picture her shrugging. "Are _you _okay?" The question came out worrisome.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be," Blaine laughed. His confidence sounded fake though and he knew his high pitched voice gave the fairness away. No way his twin would buy it.

"Blainey..." His sister sighed deeply; it confirmed Blaine's prediction of her knowing.

"Don't want to talk about it, okay," Blaine mumbled, sulking.

"You can bet your ass we_ will _talk about this, Blaine!" Rachel demanded. "But the reason I called..."

"Spit it out."

"Have you heard from Kurt?"

"Huh?"

"Kurt? Hummel? You know, _our_ best friend? I've been trying to call him for the past half hour. I wanted to know if he's feeling well enough for me to come over and have a Barbra marathon with me, but he's not picking up."

"He's fine," Blaine replied. "Very fine," he then added in an inaudible, annoyed huff.

"How do you know?" Rachel asked.

"Because he's here. At Nick's party. Semi-drunk."

A long silence followed from the other side of the line. Then, very softly, a small oh could be heard.

"I forgot that Kurt knows Nick and that he's friends with your friends."

Blaine could've been mistaken; he wanted to be mistaken, but he swore he could hear a hint of envy in Rachel's voice; envy and bitterness.

"Uhm, yeah, he sneaked out of his house to be here. Nick was thrilled."

"Bet you were too," Rachel huffed harsher than she meant. It took Blaine aback.

"I was...am! Thrilled! Very much! Hey why don't you call Mercedes to join you?"

"Can't," Rachel sighed. "She's away for the weekend with a group of her church choir."

"Tina?"

"She's on a date with her boyfriend."

"Finn?"

"Gaming with his friends," Rachel grunted annoyed. "Neither of them have any real interest in Barba anyway. I need someone who can really fangirl with me or at least doesn't rolltheir eyes whenever I mention her. Kurt and you come closest to my love for her and that's still not even about half my love."

"Oh sis, I'm so sorry. I would've come to get you but-"

"You drank too. It's okay Blaine. I dont know anybody other tham your friends there anyway. I'll just watch Barbra myself, I guess."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, go! Have fun! We'll talk soon, okay? Take good care of Kurt, okay."

"Will do," Blaine smiled. _If my heart allows it. _"Hey, why don't you try calling Kurt a bit later? I'll take his phone to him. I have it here with me anyway."

"I will." Rachel said much more cheerful. "Love you, Blainey."

"Love you too, Rach."

The call disconnected and Blaine was left staring at his phone in one hand and Kurt's in the other. He activated the lock screen on both devices and had to grin at the identical backgrounds. They'd done that after taking a selfie, snuggled up together under the covers of Kurt's bed. Blaine deeply sighed when he saw Kurt's angelic and dreamy face. He was so in love with him, and he knew he'd be for a very long time and being around Kurt wouldn't make it any for now he was going to man up so his sister could have a moment with his, no, their best friend. He felt so bad for her, being all alone at home.

He also felt extremely awful. After their move to Lima, he had made a whole group of friends at Dalton and even became somewhat popular, while she had been alone at McKinley and in Lima. She had been till she and Kurt decided to put aside their competitiveness and embrace their similarities. And here he was, like a jerk, stealing her one best friend besides himself away from her. Sure Mercedes and Tina came with Kurt like some sort of package deal, but she wasn't as close to them as she was to Kurt.

Getting his heart - unintentionally - broken by Kurt was maybe for the best. If they'd ended up dating he'd hog Kurt even more. He just knew it. No, him and Kurt not being together was the best, for Rachel's sake.

He stuffed the two phones into his pockets and left the room. His mind was a whirlwind of various emotions and decisions and he was hoping he could get through them without his mind exploding. He found his way to the dance floor so he could pass Kurt his phone and go on his quest for lots and lots of booze. To his huge surprise he found Donovan dancing dirty with some blonde boy who definitely wasn't Kurt. He backed out of the room, into the hallway, and passed every place he and Kurt had been in before. Kurt, however, was not to be found anywhere.

By pure luck he heard Nick's shouting something and followed the sound of his voice to the actual kitchen where all his friends, minus Kurt, were assambled. They were surprised to see him at first, but then they all greeted him with warm smiles.

"We were just upstairs looking for you," Jeff said as Blaine joined them at the kitchen island.

"I was down here looking for Kurt actually," Blaine shrugged and got a bit agitated over the way Nick did a happy bounce to this news.

"I'm just going to give him his phone and let him be with whatever guy he wants to be. You guys better bring out the booze because I'm planning on getting shitfaced," he announced with a grunt, his voice flat and his tone uninterested.

"What!" The other boys exclaimed in Warbler-perfect unison.

"Blaine, you aren't serious right?" David asked baffled. The dull look Blaine shot him said enough. "Are you really going to give up so fast?"

"Yup. Apparently best friends is all we are destined to be. Don't worry, I'll make sure to be over him by the time he gets married and needs me to be his best man."

"Give at least one more try." Nick pleaded. "You and all of us put so much work in that surprise for Kurt. Show it to him. All of us know it will work in your advantage."

"Nick! Blaine cried out frustrated as he turned to the birthday boy. "Stop pushing your fucking fantasies on us. Enough is enough. I can't believe you got the others to go along with you! I-"

"Now!"

It was Jeff who yelled, but things went to fast for Blaine to see who did what. All he knew was that he was grabbed from behind and dragged on to the patio, where he got pushed into a chair. The other boys bolted back inside and locked the patio door before he could catch up with them.

"Let me in, you assholes," Blaine shouted furiously as he banged loud on the glass of the door.

"Rethink surprising Kurt first, and when you agree to do it, we'll let you back in," David smirked. All boys looked smug at Blaine from where they were standing safely inside.

Blaine flipped them off and stomped of the patio into the garden as he cursed loudly. He planned on going through the garden to the pool where the doors from the hallway where wide open. Screw his friends' wishes. He was going inside to continue his plan alone. Heck, calling a cab to go home and hang with his sister didn't sound all that bad, if he were honest.

It was dark already and for a garden the size of this one, the lighting was pretty terrible. Luckily for Blaine, Nick had thrown plenty of summer pool parties for him to know his way through the gardens blindly. He took a turn right, knowing he had to make a detour around a fountain a bit further ahead to avoid being stabbed by thorns from rose bushes. As he neared that fountain, he could hear someone humming the melody of Owl City's Fireflies. Immediately he recognised the humming as that of a particular boy. He hopped on the path, went around a large bush and halted; sharp intake of breath as the scene before him unfolded.

Kurt sat on the edge of the fountain, alone, admiring the same fireflies they had seen earlier. The light coming from a lighting pole near the fountain illuminated him perfectly, despite big quite dim. His face, lifted upwards to the three surrounded by the flies, was fully captured by the light. The way it broke off at the edges of his face, sharpened his jaw line and highlighted his cheekbones. While Blaine couldn't see the blue of his eyes, he did see them glistening and his smiling lips looked softer and more kissable than ever. It was as if Kurt casted a light from within himself. At least it did to Blaine, because in his eyes, he was witnessing an angel.

The noise Blaine had made, had alerted Kurt of the presence of someone else. His head snapped towards Blaine's direction, eyes widened from fright. All tension left his body his body when his gaze locked upon his best friend and he immediately began to run towards him, to jump in his arms when he reached him.

"Where were you?" Kurt sobbed as he burrows his face in Blaine's neck. "You promised you would come back soon, but you never did."

Blaine, who hadn't hesitated for even a second to grasp Kurt by the waist once he was in his arms, pushed his face hard against Kurt's shoulder. Any decision he had made earlier considering Kurt was forgotten completely. He couldn't even remember why he wouldn't pursue Kurt anymore. Seeing Kurt the way he just had; holding him now; he was the only one he could think of and everything he wanted.

"I did. I did come back for you, but you were dancing with Donovan." Blaine explained after they parted.

"Oh," was all Kurt said; his eyes cast downwards as if he had some sort of shame.

"Are you okay? Did he do something you?" Anger raged through Blaine, his hands balled into fists. "If he did something, tell me now so I can kick his ass."

"No, no, no. He didn't do anything, I promise. Please calm, sweetheart," Kurt smiled softly. He cupped Blaine's face to make sure the teen was looking him in the eye to see that he was speaking the truth. After Blaine deflated, he pulled him into another hug.

"I felt a bit...uncomfortable. But it wasn't because of anything he did," Kurt explained vaguely as his mind drifted off to the near past.

At first, dancing with Donovan had been pretty nice, but it didn't take long for him to grow annoyed.

First of all, Donovan was taller than him where Blaine was actually on his eye height. He constantly had to look up and every time he did, he wasn't met with eyes in the perfect blend of hazel and honey, the ones he loved so much, but with a pair much lighter and greener.

At one point, he had turned around out of frustration to dance with his back towards Donovan. The Dalton student had taken that as a sign to come closer. The moment Donovan's chest touched his back, Kurt had the feeling something was off; a feeling confirmed when Donovan traced his fingers over the curve of Kurt's waist. Donovan's body just couldn't mould against his the way Blaine's could, couldn't hold him in the gentle way Blaine always did.

To Kurt, he and Blaine were the pieces of a 2-piece puzzle, whereas he and Donovan seemed like two puzzle pieces that didn't even belong in the same box.

Finding it rude to just ditch Donovan but also not feeling like dancing with him too much, Kurt had turned around again, eyes closed as he was imagining he was dancing with Blaine instead. It had worked until Donovan had crept back into his personal space again. He had done his best to mentally replace Donovan's sweetly meant touches with Blaine's familiar ones, but when he had felt his face being cupped and hot breath brushing over his lips, his eyes had flown open to discover the two of them were in kissing distance. It was what Donovan was trying to do.

He'd immediately pushed Donovan away. The other teen seemed baffled at first and then simply disappointed. After staring at Kurt for a few seconds, Donovan had taken his hand to lead him to the hallway.

"I'm sorry," the taller boy had apologised sincerely. "I knew you really weren't into this from the beginning. A part of me hoped it would change because you're so gorgeous - Kurt had blushed heavily at this - but I pushed you where I shouldn't have and for that I apologise."

"I appreciate that," Kurt had smiled. "And I'm sorry I kind of strung you along."

"It's because of Blaine, isn't it?"

When Kurt's mouth had fallen open - it was spot on of course - Donovan had grinned and went on explaining his assumption.

"I saw you two together earlier. It was like fireworks between you. When he left you here alone, I hoped to stand a chance, but alas."

"I'm sorry," Kurt had repeated softly, but Donovan waved it away."

"Don't worry about it, Kurt. It was very nice meeting you and thank you for that dance."

With a last flirty wink, the Dalton student had said his goodbye and disappeared in the crowd again. Kurt had stared after him, blinking quietly, before gulping, turning around on his heels to storm out of the hallway. He needed Blaine with him and he needed him as soon as possible.

"Blue?" A soft voice spoke.

"Huh?" Kurt answered confused, ten noticed Blaine had broken their hug and was caressing his shoulder.

"You were telling me something about Donovan making you uncomfortable and then you spaced out."

"Oh yeah," Kurt mumbled as he shook his hand with a grin. "Come with me!"

He laced their fingers together and pulled Blaine over to the fountain, where they sat down and he placed their hands in his lap.

"Do you know how when _that _special person touches you or holds you, it feels exactly perfect?"

"Uh, yeah," Blaine nodded, relating Kurt' word to every single moment he had had physical contact with him.

"Well, Donovan touching me felt wrong. He didn't actually do anything wrong. He-"

"He just wasn't a match."

"Exactly. Anyway, after we said goodbye, I searched for you, but I couldn't find you anywhere. I almost started panicking in that crowd, but luckily Wes found me. He brought me out here and sat down with me until I calmed down. He offered to take me back inside, but I wanted to stay, so he told me he'd call me if they found you."

"Oooh," Blaine said. That explained why the boys threw him outside. They knew Kurt was out here and that he'd run into him. He glanced over at Kurt and caught the teen gazing at him and blushing adorably when their eyes locked. Blaine's stomach turned in a good way when Kurt scooted even closer and laid his head on his shoulder. He was in love; so very much in love.

Suddenly some of the words Kurt just said, wrangled through to him and his eyes budged. He grew ice-cold inside as they were words that could possibly ruin him to pieces.

"Blue?"

"Yes, B?" The answer came in a dreamy hum.

"You just talked about it feeling perfect when that special person touches or holds you. Have you actually experienced that before?"

"Yes...with you."

Blaine thought he had misheard at first. However when Kurt flew straight up, clasped his hands over his mouth and stared at him frightened, he knew he hadn't.

"Ignore that I said anything," Kurt squeaked embarrassed. Blaine could clearly see him mentally beating himself up as well as the tears that sprang in his eyes; the mumbling about being and idiot and messing things up didn't go unnoticed either.

Blaine studied him for a bit and figured that finishing his surprise from earlier wasn't such a bad idea after all. He stood up, wiped his sweaty hands on his trousers and scraped his throat.

"Kurt?"

Kurt peeked at him, fear visibly present in his entire demeanour. There was no doubt he was about to cry. Blaine took a deep breath and nervously held a hand out to him.

"Will you dance with me?"

Kurt stared at him in disbelieve. Not only was Blaine not running away after his slip up. He actually still wanted to dance with him. Maybe Blaine hadn't heard him or he was ignoring it; either way he was taking his chance. He laid a hand in Blaine's and let himself be pulled on to his feet, but to his surprise Blaine guided him in a different direction than he thought they would go in.

"Ehm, B, the house is over there you know."

"Oh I know," Blaine smirked and added in a mysterious voice in Kurt's ear, "but we're not going to the house."

"What?"

"Just trust me okay?"

"Okay," Kurt nodded without any hesitation. He followed Blaine down a path leading deeper into the humongous garden. Once they passed a path flanked by large rose bushes and went around a corner, they halted before a gazebo approximately three or four times the size of the one in Blaine's garden.

"Wait a second," Blaine told him. He ran up the stairs of the gazebo and walked over to an electric box, which he switched on.

Kurt gasped.

The entire gazebo lit up as strings of Christmas lights as well as lights in the shape of hearts wrapped around the beams and banisters illuminated the place; the same went for the icicle lights on the ceiling. Red and white roses were hooked into the lights and petals were spread all over the wooden floor.

"Oh my gosh," was anything Kurt managed to say. It came in a soft whisper.

"When the guys and I left, we came here to finish this," Blaine said as he proudly gave the gazebo a once-over.

"Why?" Kurt asked confused. "Nobody goes further than the patio and the pool. It's a shame you guys put so much effort in decorating this so beautifully if no one is going to see it."

"But this isn't for everybody to see," Blaine said softly as he approached Kurt again. The boy beneath the stairs noticed Blaine's voice trembling and an overall tension in his posture. He wondered why,even though his mind was already occupied by the mystery behind the gazebo.

"You see," Blaine continued, speaking even softer. He went down the stairs to reach for Kurt, who followed him immediately. "This is for you."

"Me?!" Kurt squeaked.

"Yes," Blaine nodded and gulped. In the middle of the gazebo, he counted to five in his head, before he looked up from where he was staring at his shoes and met Kurt's big doe eyes.

"I've...uhm...been...uhm...wanting to tell you something. For a while now. But I never knew how without making a fool of myself. I think I've finally found how to though and the boys helped me idealise it...uhm...wait here..."

Kurt saw him going towards a small docking station hidden in a storage space in one of the pillars. Blaine plugged an iPod in and took a little remote control with him as he went back to Kurt.

"The thing I want to tell you is in the song, so please listen carefully to lyrics, okay?"

"Okay," Kurt promised. He quickly cupped Blaine's cheek and stroked it with his thumb in attempt to calm the nervous boy down. He dropped his hand on Blaine's shoulder after said boy took another deep breath.

Blaine pressed play on the remote and tucked it in his pocket. He took a shaky hold of Kurt's waist while their free hand entwined; the gap between their bodies closed. The opening notes of the song had already started when they began to move in slow shuffling movements. Both were internally marvelling over their first slow dance with a boy.

_This man, is hard to understand  
>Living life the best that I can<em>

Kurt raised his eyebrows as they swayed together, not understanding where this was heading. Blaine chuckled out a nervous laugh when he saw it.

"Just ignore the first part. I'll tell you when the message comes."

Kurt nodded, smiling as he inched a bit closer to his dance partner.

_But behind this curtain of mine  
>There's so much more than meets the eye<br>Do you realize behind this tough and rigid skin  
>There's something deep down inside<em>

"Now!" It came in whisper.

Kurt perked up his ears in anticipation of the message.

_I have a heart too__  
><em>_That can break and melt__  
><em>_Like everybody else__  
><em>_I have a heart too__  
><em>_That can be loved__  
><em>_That wants to be loved__  
><em>_By you_

Pure shock paralysed Kurt for a few second - a moment that seemed to last an eternity as he tried to find a way to unfreeze. That last sentence, a love confession from Blaine; to him. This couldn't be reality. In no other universe than his wildest dreams could Blaine present him with such a message within a song, during a dance in the most romantic place.

But when he crept back to consciousness and regained the use of his body, he slowly faced Blaine who was staring at him, terrified and a nervous wreck. Then he felt the quivering hand Blaine held his with; he was squeezing so hard, his knuckles turned white. At the same time fingers dug deep into his side. It wasn't painful, but it made him feel enough to confirm he wasn't dreaming.

This was reality and Blaine just told him through song that he liked him the same way he liked Blaine.

"Oh my god," it came out of his mouth in a gasp. He didn't even realize at first that it was him speaking. Dumbstruck, he slipped his hand out of Blaine's death grip and winded both of them around the other boy's neck.

Immediately Blaine held on to his back and drew him in even closer. It was almost as if both of them were trying to melt into one.

The signer had long begun to sing again and due to the loss of his focus, Kurt missed a bunch of the lyrics. He chose to turn out instead and swayed the both of them in slow circles until the song repeated itself again.

This time, once the first chorus came by, Blaine hummed the melody in Kurt's ear and with the second verse he sang the words along in a way that easily convinced Kurt that the words came straight out of his heart and that he was serious about this.

_I would assume you feel the same as I do__  
><em>_And I really do try my best, to be there for you__  
><em>_It's my job to guard your heart and keep you close__  
><em>_You know that I would never ever let you go__  
><em>_I'll put my pride aside, and be the man of your life__  
><em>_And my hope is that you'll understand_

Kurt nuzzled his nose into Blaine's neck as he held his now much more relaxed, hopefully soon to be boyfriend. While Blaine sung to him, he crept up higher; first letting his forehead rest against Blaine's cheek, then bumped his nose in the same spot. He continued until their foreheads were touching.

_I have a heart too__  
><em>_That can break and melt__  
><em>_Like everybody else__  
><em>_I have a heart too__  
><em>_That can be loved__  
><em>_That wants to be loved__  
><em>_By you_

Blaine suddenly pushed Kurt gently away from him, but only so he could twirl his stunning dance partner. In a fluid move, Blaine reeled him back in and gracefully dipped him.

_All I want is for you to__  
><em>_Give me your hand__  
><em>_Can you feel my heart beating?_

Kurt was taking aback when he found himself floating above the floor, but then saw Blaine hovering over him; honey coloured eyes glistening with love, his face full of adoration. And he was not imagining this!

_I have a heart too__  
><em>_That can break and melt__  
><em>_Like everybody else__  
><em>_I have a heart too__  
><em>_That can be loved__  
><em>_That wants to be loved__  
><em>_By you_

Kurt mirrored the other teen's gaze, cupped Blaine's jaw and lifted himself up. At the same time Blaine smiled and leaned down.

For the first time ever their lips met in a kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys. I owe you guys a huge apology. I never meant to take about 4 months to complete this. But my life is still a mess. On top of that my mom had surgery and I had to take care of her and my father. My own health isn't all that great either; I'm either sick or insanely tired and everything has affected my will to write to be honest. At first I expected it to have this done in January but I just ended up with weeks of very little to none writing done. I'm so sorry guys. Please forgive me<strong>

**Thank you to everyone who wrote comments and sent me messages and asks on my Tumblr. You don't even understand how much I appreciate all the support you give. If you have anything to ask or anything, please don't be afraid to send and ask on .com. You actually make a girl smile when you do.**

**See you guys hopefully soon. Mwuah!**


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